Zach Top has carved out a traditional groove for himself in modern country music. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Author: alaskaadmin
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After several years and a whole lot of bad blood, Meghan Markle will return to the UK when Prince Harry returns to his home country next month.
Added to the significance of the occasion is the fact that the couple will be joined by their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
But if you were hoping for an adorable photo of Harry and Meghan’s kids enjoying the company of their royal cousins, we’re afraid you’re gonna be disappointed.
According to a new report from Page Six, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are unlikely to spend time with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis during the family’s upcoming trip, despite it being the children’s first visit to Britain since 2022.
While King Charles is reportedly eager to reconnect with his youngest son and finally spend time with Archie and Lilibet, the ongoing rift between Prince Harry and Prince William continues to cast a long shadow over the royal family.
Royal commentator Amanda Matta tells Page Six that although a reunion between the cousins would be “lovely,” there are simply too many obstacles standing in the way.
“There are all sorts of logistical reasons why it wouldn’t happen,” she explained, noting that William and Princess Kate maintain a busy schedule with both royal duties and family life.
Royal editor Emily Nash echoed those sentiments, saying that while it would be wonderful for the children to know one another, the fractured relationship between their parents remains the biggest hurdle.
“The cousins should absolutely know each other,” Nash said. “But before that can happen, Harry and William need to repair their own relationship.”
Despite the continued tension between the brothers, King Charles appears determined to move the reconciliation process forward.
Reports indicate the monarch has invited Harry, Meghan and their children to stay at a royal residence during the visit and has even offered to help coordinate security arrangements.
If the trip goes forward as planned, it will be the first time Archie and Lilibet have been in the UK in four years and could give Charles a rare opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren.
Of course, repairing the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales remains easier said than done.
The brothers’ estrangement has persisted for years following Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties, their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, and Harry’s revealing memoir, Spare.
While there have been signs that Harry and Charles are attempting to mend fences, royal observers say William has shown little interest in following suit.
So while Meghan’s return to the UK is certainly a momentous occasion, the strife that drove her from the country in the first place is clearly far from settled.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s Kids Will NOT Reunite With Cousins During Upcoming UK … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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Two young hotties who’ve caused quite a stir in different sectors of culture are Benson Boone and Alix Earle.
Worlds collided this week, with jaw-dropping results.
We can see the two fall in love in a fantastical whirlwind, kissing and marrying and more, in a new music video.
Even steamier is the behind-the-scenes footage of their less serious choreography. The chemistry is reportedly off the charts.
‘The Time of My Life’
Thursday, June 25, was Benson Boone’s birthday.
(He turned 24. Yes, we regret to inform you that he, like millions of other actual adults, was born in 2002.)
To mark the occasion, he released the “The Time of My Life” music video, which showcases him and Alix Earle as the stars of a dramatic love story.
The fantasy romance takes the two sword fighting, dragonslaying, and marrying before exchanging a kiss.
To be clear, this is a music video — this is an acting role for Alix. Though, in cases like Sam Asghari or Chrishell Stause, sometimes getting cast is just the first step towards a long-term relationship.
Whatever you may think of Boone — or Earle, for that matter — it’s an adventurous video that you don’t see so much anymore.
The fantasy vibes are great. Specifically, parts of it have a sword & sorcery energy, a fun sub genre that is increasingly scarce in a world where businessbrained prudes run most entertainment companies.
The two spent a week filming.
TMZ‘s sources reported that they had incredible chemistry during the music video.
We know that people make soaking jokes, but Boone is actually no longer Mormon. That’s not to say that anything is happening between them, though he has denied that they are dating.
Benson Boone dancing to Britney Spears’s “I’m a Slave 4 U” pic.twitter.com/tsI4bvhs8X
— culture (@notgwendalupe) June 26, 2026
‘Slave 4 U’ choreography
In addition to the romantic music video, the two shared a little behind-the-scenes dancing to Britney Spears’ “Slave 4 U.”
Truth be told, this has led some to accuse Boone of queerbaiting. After all, doing the choreography to Britney’s greatest hits was an unwitting right of passage for millions of gay Millennials — sometimes, before they knew that they were gay.
However, we have to emphasize that queerbaiting is a specific term with a specific meaning. A singer adopting specific looks or doing specific dances might prompt some to assume his sexuality, but that’s not what that means.
Queerbaiting very specifically refers to a piece of media winking and nudging at viewers that a couple will get together, while knowing full well that — due to censorship or the showrunner’s preference — they will not.
Others have accused Boone of being a closeted man who is straightbaiting with Earle.
Though Will & Grace was arguably a genuine case of straightbaiting (the show was pitched as a will-they-or-won’t-they, even though obviously they would not), that’s not really a thing either.
Boone has repeatedly avoided comparisons to music legends, insisting that he’s just being himself.
We should probably let him. He’s barely 24. Remember 2012? He was 10.
Sometimes we have to speak these dark truths in order to keep things in perspective.
Benson Boone & Alix Earle Kiss, Marry in New Music Video, Share Steamy Backstage … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Two of Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada‘s seminal English-language records, 2004’s Exodus and 2006’s This Is the One, are receiving their first-ever remaster. Both LPs will be released in a new, limited-edition format via Island Def Jam this week; they’re available on both streaming and, in Japan, as a 2CD set with bonus tracks, and on vinyl. It’s also the first time either of the records have been pressed to wax.
Although Exodus was Utada’s fifth studio album, and came out the same year as their first greatest hits compilation, it represented their formal introduction to American audiences, an audience she would continue to endear for years to come. The genre-spanning LP wove together electronic, dance, R&B, and avant-garde sonics; Timbaland contributed production to two tracks and handled remix duties on a third, while Jon Theodore, at the time the drummer for The Mars Volta, lent his talents to “Kremlin Dusk.” A remix of the single “Devil Inside” became a club smash, rising from dance floors around the country to the top spot on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs, becoming Utada’s highest U.S. chart placement at the time.
Five years later, This Is the One arrived as a full-blown A-list pop album. It brought together producers Stargate, who has worked with the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé, and Tricky Stewart, known for his successful collaborations with Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. The LP peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200, placing Utada among a small number of Japanese artists ever to reach the chart’s Top 100. Its lead single “Come Back to Me” reached No. 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart, while “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI,” nodded to Utada’s Japanese-American pop crossover lineage by building on the celebrated Ryuichi Sakamoto composition of the same name.
After decades in the spotlight, Utada continues to regularly release music. In March, she collaborated with British star Charlie Puth on the song “Home,” and their most recent album, Bad Mode, arrived in 2022. In 2024, they also embarked on the Science Fiction tour, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of their debut LP with multiple shows across Asia.
Order Exodus here and This Is The One here.
Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music
Today, Cole Goodwin is rolling out his Howdy EP, a project rooted in classic country influences and inspired by the traditional sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Filled with authentic storytelling and timeless vocals, the EP reflects Goodwin’s commitment to keeping the heart of country music alive.
Born and raised in Pooler, Georgia, Goodwin has never wavered from the era that shaped his musical taste, often drawing inspiration from artists like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Hank Jr. and Ronnie Milsap. Those influences run deep throughout the EP, which includes tracks “Howdy,” “Girl That’s How,” “Where She’s Coming From” and “Keep On Rainin’.”
“I mean, if you think about it, it worked so good and it still works 30, 40 years later and everybody still loves it. And I think that there’s something to be said about that,” Goodwin said of his effort to tap into the nostalgic country sound. “So anytime I can dive into that and try to tap into get as close as I can get to something that feels like that or makes somebody else feel like that, how it makes me feel when I hear those great old songs, that’s what I want to do.”
The title track, “Howdy” has already been making waves across live audiences and as of this week, it also made a strong impact at country radio, earning 56 first-week adds.
“Yeah, that’s pretty mind-blowing to me and I’m super excited about it,” he told Country Now, reflecting on the support behind the single.
Goodwin serves as a co-writer on two of the four tracks on the new project. Whether he had a hand in bringing them to life or was lucky enough to cut them as his own, he said the collection of songs came together naturally. He admits while each song brings something different to the table, both sonically and lyrically, they all relate to his life in some way.
“Obviously they’re all country, but I think most importantly, they’re all me and songs that I connect to and that I think is super great and special. And so yeah, they’re sonically maybe all a little bit different, but they’re all authentic and all genuine and me. I’m super proud of it and super excited for everybody to hear all of them and to play them on the road,” he shared honestly.
Fans have already become familiar with the charming and humorous story behind “Howdy,” as Goodwin describes a simple moment in a bar between two strangers that turns into a fun, feel-good lesson about what could come from taking a shot and seeing where the night goes. The track was penned by four of his good friends, Justin dukes, Davis Loose, Carson Peters and Ethan Phillips.
“They were gracious enough to let me cut it. One of them sent it to me or played it for me about a year and a half ago, I guess. And I was like, ‘wow man, send me that please and don’t send that to anybody else.’ And yeah, I just kept listening to it and I thought it was such a great song…I tell them, ‘it’s like, y’all wrote this for me’ because language wise, attitude wise, it’s just all stuff that I would say. And it’s very much, I think, my personality. And yeah, I just really, really connected with it and thought that it was an incredible song and I wanted to sing it.”
He leans even further into the idea of falling in love on “Girl That’s How,” where a country guy wants to show the woman he cares about what life with him is really like by taking her around his small hometown, meeting his family and enjoying the simple things in life that matter most to him. It shows a softer, more romantic side of Goodwin and serves as a reminder that old-school chivalry might not be dead after all.
Second to last on the EP is the unreleased track “Keep On Rainin’,” which flips the idea of the familiar “Rain, Rain, Go Away” saying on its head. What sounds like it could be a sad song instead turns into an upbeat, high-energy “barn burner,” as Goodwin puts it, that finds him asking for the rain to stick around instead of wishing it would go away.
“Honestly, until after the fact, I didn’t even really realize that I’d done that in the room that day and maybe that’s why it felt familiar, but in the room, I wasn’t really thinking, let’s do the ‘Rain, Rain Go Away’ thing until after. And I was like, wait a minute, we actually did do that,” he said, thinking back to the writing session with Jessi Alexander and Jonathan Singleton.
Then the collection takes a sharp turn to showcase a more somber side of heartbreak as it comes to close with the emotional ballad, “Where She’s Coming From,” which digs into the painful realization that a relationship has run its course and the flame has burned all the way out.
‘Howdy’ Complete Track List:
1. Howdy
Written by: Justin Dukes, Davis Loose, Carson Peters, Ethan Phillips
2. Girl That’s How
Written by: Kevin Denney, Tom Botkin, Mike Rogers
3. Keep On Rainin’
Written by: Cole Goodwin, Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton
4. Where She’s Coming From
Written by: Cole Goodwin, Wyatt McCubbin, Erik Dylan
Cole Goodwin’s Howdy EP dropped June 26 via Big Machine Records. The collection arrives amid a busy touring year for the rising star. He is fresh off a run supporting Vincent Mason and has plenty of festival appearances still ahead, along with nationwide support dates with Carly Pearce, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, and Braxton Keith on select shows.
With all the major acts that Goodwin has had the chance to open for so far, he says getting to experience different tours and fan bases has been a major highlight of the journey.
“It’s just been really awesome and interesting to take notes from everybody and these people that young artists like myself look up to, to just rub elbows with them and pick their brain and take notes on how they treat it this many years into it or however many years into it they are…Never thought that I would get to play some of the stages that we’ve done and some of the venues and with some of the artists that we’ve played with. And I get to call some of them friends now, which is really crazy. So yeah, it’s one of those things you just kind of have fun and soak it in.”
Goodwin promises that his EP is just the start of all the new music he has in the works. He promised there is “a ton” coming that he is “super, super excited about.”
The post Cole Goodwin Shares New EP, ‘Howdy,’ Rooted in Traditional Country Sounds and Authentic Storytelling appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Every month, Aldi launches new seasonal products (or brings back old favorites that we look forward to all year). Here’s what’s coming in July, 2026.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
The timely song that will resonate with country music fans and others alike. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
The timely song that will resonate with country music fans and others alike. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
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This has been a deeply cursed few weeks for Love Island USA.
A producer died. A woman was removed from the villa for racism.
Now, after new evidence surfaced, another slur-spewing contestant is gone.
Alannah Keyser was booted from Love Island USA. How did all of this slip past production?
She’s officially done
Peacock confirmed to TMZ that Keyser is gone from Love Island USA.
Thursday night’s episode was her final appearance.
This news comes in the wake of a resurfaced video of her saying the literal worst slur, the N-word.
The video was not the first sign of it.
An Instagram comment, seemingly by Keyser, appeared to use the slur.
@stephwithdadeets “ALANNAH HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM CASA” Coming Soon… #loveislandusa #casaamor #alannah #video #greenscreen ♬ Censor Beep Sound 5 – 佚名
Some often wonder how things like this seem to avoid detection during the casting process.
How many good, decent people were passed over to allow someone with a public history of racism to continue?
Well, production says that the video and social media posts were not publicly available.
According to them, they only resurfaced after Keyser was cast on the show.
That does make sense. Someone who isn’t a public figure suddenly being seen by millions is going to have people going “wait, didn’t she do that awful thing back then?” This can be either with good intentions or for clout.
Why does this keep happening?
This exact same thing happened just weeks ago.
Earlier in Season 8, production removed Vasana Montgomery from the Love Island USA villa.
This, too, was because of resurfaced videos that appeared to show he singing the N-word in one, yelling the N-word in another.
In both cases, production protested that the footage was not publicly accessible to them during the vetting process.
Again, widespread public scrutiny tends to be what allows shameful past actions to resurface.
Sometimes, social media posts simply did not age well. Certainly, the prevalent humor of 2006 on forums and on nascent Facebook would not translate well in 2026.
But no one accused Keyser of Montgomery of posting, like, “ironic” racism or “joke” body-shaming, which would merit an apology but likely not result in firing.
People have used both forms of humor, using the term loosely, to highlight the grim realities of racism, sexism, and more in our society. It’s just that, with social media, people now usually do so more tastefully.
Both of these fallen reality TV personalities used the worst slur to exist in language. It’s unclear why someone would wish to do so.
This isn’t a Love Island USA problem. This is a societal problem. We live in a society where people might spew slurs and continue to have friends and then expect to go on reality television without consequence.
That should not be the case. Social sanction has a purpose.
Alannah Keyser Booted from ‘Love Island USA’ Over Racist Video, Comments was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Fliers posted at the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Avis Alaska Sports Complex on June 25, 2026, advertise summer job openings and internships for students. Even though the positions are entry-level, temporary or internships, posted hourly pay rates on some fliers are above $20 an hour. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Starting next week, Alaska’s lowest-paid workers will be entitled to more money.
On July 1, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $14 an hour, a $1 bump from the current level. The increase is the result of a voter-approved ballot initiative that mandated paid sick leave, as well as stepped-up minimum wages.
The first increase took pay up to $13 an hour last year, and next year, the minimum wage is scheduled to rise to $15 an hour. In subsequent years, the state’s minimum wage is to rise with the inflation rate, under the voter-approved initiative.
Salaried workers are also covered by the minimum wage increase. Under state reuglations, minimum pay for salaried workers, with some exceptions, must be at least twice the hourly minimum wage, based on a 40-hour workweek.
Just how many workers will be affected by next week’s mandated pay increase is unclear.
Dan Robinson, research chief at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, believes that there will be relatively few people affected by the change.
“This will not change very much because the situation for workers for a while now has been that employers have had to pay higher wages,” Robinson said.
Even a $14-an-hour wage for what are normally low-paid jobs was not high enough for many employers to attract workers, he said.
That is not because of any boom in available jobs in Alaska. The state’s picture is static, Robinson noted. Gains in private sector employment have been almost exactly offset by losses in government employment, mostly because of federal job losses, according to the state’s most recent analysis.
Rather, it is a product of demographic factors, including continued net-outmigration, meaning more people leaving Alaska than moving into the state. As of last year, Alaska had 13 consecutive years of net-outmigration, a post-World War II record.
Other factors shaping the labor force are Alaska’s aging population and immigration curbs.
Overall, there are “fewer people here seeking work than at other points in our history,” Robinson said. “So it’s kind of a feedback loop.”
The minimum wage increases are expected to affect more people in future years, when they are tied to inflation, he said.
A different perspective was offered in 2024 by the National Employment Labor Project, a nonprofit pro-labor advocacy group.
Prior to that year’s election, the organization estimated that 31,000 people in Alaska would earn more if the state’s minimum wage were raised. More women than men would see the benefits, since women are more likely to be in minimum wage-paying jobs, according to the analysis.
Robinson said the Department of Labor and Workforce Development does not have solid numbers on how many workers are earning minimum wage or anything closer to it.
The department does have information showing pay rates for different economic sectors and job categories, though that is also incomplete because it relies on surveys.
Alaska’s lowest-paid workers, based on those survey results, are in the food preparation and service sector, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s analysis. Within that sector, median hourly wages range from $12.65 for waiters and waitresses to $25.09 for chefs and head cooks, according to the survey data.
Alaska is among four states and more than two dozen municipalities with scheduled minimum wage increases going into effect in July. And by the end of the year, 88 jurisdictions across the country will have raised their minimum wages, according to the National Employment Labor Project.
As of Jan. 1, 20 states had minimum wages that were higher than Alaska’s $13-an-hour rate, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Next week’s increase in Alaska, along with phased-in increases elsewhere, may change those rankings a bit.
The nation’s highest state minimum wage is in the District of Columbia, at $17.95 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There are eight states with either no state-imposed minimum wage or a minimum wage that is lower than $7.25 an hour, the federal minimum, according to the department.