Dolly Parton Jokes Through Health Scare

Dolly Parton is putting rumors to rest with her trademark wit and charm, reassuring fans that she’s “not dying” after a recent wave of concern. In a playful Instagram video filmed while shooting commercials for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the 79-year-old country icon addressed her health, saying, “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard.” Parton explained that minor medical issues, including a kidney stone, forced her to cancel a Dollywood event, but she’s otherwise in good spirits.

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She also poked fun at an AI-generated image of her and Reba McEntire “ready to be buried,” and thanked fans for their prayers. “There’s a lot of rumours flying around,” she said. “But if you heard it from me, you’ll know I’m okay. I’m not ready to die yet, I don’t think God’s through with me, and I ain’t done working.” Her sister, Freida, later clarified that her original Facebook post was simply a call for prayers, not a cause for alarm.

Björk Urges Iceland to Fight for Safe Return of Activist Singer Magga Stína

Björk has issued a passionate plea calling on Icelandic authorities to secure the release of her childhood friend, singer Magga Stína, who was detained by the Israeli army while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Sharing her statement on social media, Björk condemned the blockade of food and medicine into the region, writing, “I support Magga Stína and Greta doing everything possible to try to stop the genocide in Palestine. It is illegal to starve people and hinder that food arrives to children.”

Stína’s detention comes amid Israel’s seizure of over 450 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which included environmentalist Greta Thunberg, who reported mistreatment during her imprisonment. Björk called on Iceland to uphold its history of supporting oppressed nations, urging the government to pressure Israel for Stína’s safe return and suspend business interactions until humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. “Even though we are few, our voice matters,” she wrote, “and we can continue to set an example of having the courage to rise up against oppression and represent peace.”

ICYMI:

• Ariana Grande has teamed up with Spotify to let fans share their personalized Top 5 songs from her discography. 

• Halle Bailey has announced her debut album, ‘love?... or something like it.’ set for release on October 24th.

Nicki Minaj and SZA's Public Twitter Feud Escalates

The 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is gearing up to deliver another unforgettable spectacle, and the brand has just revealed this year’s powerhouse musical lineup. Headliners include Missy Elliott, Madison Beer, Karol G, and K-pop sensation TWICE, continuing the tradition of all-female performers following last year’s lineup featuring Cher, Lisa, and Tyla. 

This year’s show takes place on October 15 in New York City and will be streamed live on Prime Video, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Confirmed models include Adriana Lima, Alex Consani, Anok Yai, Joan Smalls, Lily Aldridge, and Yumi Nu, with Angel Reese making history as the first professional athlete to walk the runway. With this star-studded lineup, the show promises a dazzling blend of music, fashion, and groundbreaking moments.

POP FACT: On this day in 2011, Lana Del Rey released her debut single, “Video Games.” The track is ranked at #97 on Rolling Stone’s 250 Greatest Songs list.

Trisha Paytas Teases Role in Euphoria Season 3

Trisha Paytas has fueled speculation about appearing in HBO’s Euphoria Season 3 after talking about her audition on her Just Trish podcast. She joked about sharing her “Euphoria self tape” and said she “really nailed it,” sparking fan chatter about past auditions and unverified reports of scenes with Zendaya. Season 3, which wrapped production in September, returns in spring 2026 with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, and newcomers Rosalía and Sharon Stone.

ICYMI:

• Selena Gomez is to release a new song, ‘In The Dark,’ for Season 2 of ‘Nobody Wants This.’

• Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” has surpassed 100 million streams on Global Spotify. By reaching the milestone in 5 days, the track becomes the fastest in Spotify history to achieve it. 

• The Weeknd has added even more shows to his “AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN” European tour. New shows have been announced in Manchester, Copenhagen, Munich, Lille, Paris, Barcelona, and Lisbon.

• Saoirse Ronan is set to play Linda McCartney in The Beatles biopics. Paul Mescal was previously cast as Paul McCartney. 

• Demi Lovato has released her new single ‘Kiss.’

Best New Track: “Tie you down” by HAIM feat. Bon Iver

We’ve been obsessed with Haim’s album since it came out earlier this year. I quit has the bell-bottoms-on-the-boulevard and too-big sunglasses aura. Slip out of L.A. like your heart’s somewhere better!

The band took to Instagram yesterday to announce the deluxe edition of I quit which will feature three new songs. Bon Iver appears on one of them.

Many songs on I quit move like the hop-and-skip of warm chalk games underfoot. “Tie you down” is more like “The farm” and “Love you right.” These are the album moments which glow best in the PCH gold.

“I want you here / but I don’t know how / to tie you down,” they sing. HAIM reminds us: if someone wants out, they’ll find the door.

—Dawson Therre

— Katie Macbeth

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