Pop Culture Catch-up: Sabrina Carpenter Tops With ‘Man’s Best Friend’
In the headlines
Every week, something major happens that captures everyone’s attention. From surprise romances to music releases, we round up the biggest pop culture news coming out of Hollywood to get you all caught up. Get the latest on Jennette McCurdy’s provocative debut novel, Sabrina Carpenter’s newest album, Ariana Grande’s upcoming tour, and more.
Sabrina Carpenter returns with Man’s Best Friend
She’s back! It might have seemed like just yesterday that Carpenter dropped Short n’ Sweet, but the singer is now back with her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, which dropped on 29 August. The release came alongside a music video for the title track, ‘Tears’, a disco-pop track with visuals heavily inspired by the 1975 musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The track earns Carpenter the biggest debut for a song by a female artist on the Global Spotify chart this year, with 9.29 million streams after 24 hours. Listen to Man’s Best Friend below:
Rihanna celebrates 20 years in the industry
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Pop star and beauty mogul Rihanna celebrated the milestone with a heartfelt message to fans, writing, “20 years ago, I left my country, my culture, my food, and family to embark on a journey that started with the release of my very first body of music! So many of you were a part of my life and career since the very beginning, and some of you have joined the adventure along the way. I’m forever grateful to all of you. Each of you played a very crucial role in where this journey has taken me thus far!” The celebration also came with the drop of an R20 merchandise line. We’re still not losing hope on a new Rihanna album…
Jennette McCurdy announces her debut novel
In 2022, Jennette McCurdy made headlines with her harrowing and revelatory memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, and she’s about to do it again with her second literary work. On 28 August, the former child star announced in an exclusive to Vogue that her debut novel, titled Half His Age, will be released in January 2026. The book will follow a 17-year-old teenager who has an affair with a married teacher.
It is “a novel about sex, class, consumerism, power, self-discovery…as seen through the eyes of one very lonely teenage girl,” McCurdy shares with Vogue. “I really wanted to write about sex. I wanted to explore consumerism—rampant consumerism—and its effects on young people, as well as the complicated aspects of desire.”
Taylor Swift is engaged!
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Taylor Swift has a blank space and she’s writing ‘Kelce’ on it. That’s right, the pop star royalty is getting married to Travis Kelce! On 27 August, the pair took to Instagram to reveal the happy news with a carousel of photos. In it, Kelce can be seen popping the question to Swift in a lush and dreamy floral garden. The engagement promptly broke the internet with the post becoming the most-liked Instagram post by a musician in history with 34.2 million likes.
Ariana Grande to go on tour next year
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Arianators hoping to see their girl back on the stage, rejoice! The Wicked star announced on social media that she will be embarking on an Eternal Sunshine tour next year that kicks off in June. While the tour stops currently only include North America and London, here’s to hoping that more dates in Asia (and Malaysia) will be unveiled soon!
Taylor Swift Announces New Album, The Life of a Showgirl
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She’s back! Pop icon Taylor Swift has officially ushered in a new musical era with the announcement of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The news comes after Swift released a teaser of her upcoming appearance on her beau’s podcast show, New Heights, where she dropped the album name. On her website and official social media channels, sparkly orange is seen all over, reflecting a sunset-hued colour palette for her upcoming era. Stay tuned for more details!
‘Golden’ By Huntrix Surges To #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
You can officially say ‘Golden’ is the biggest song in the world right now as the hit original song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, beating out American artists Alex Warren and Chappell Roan. Performed by the fictional group Huntrix of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, the breakout single is the first to reach number one by a girl group (real or fictional) since Destiny’s Child. It also makes history as the first song by a female K-pop artist to dominate the chart. If you’re looking for more songs like ‘Golden’, click here. Consider the honmoon sealed!
Luffy and Gang Enter Trecherous Waters in One Piece Season 2
In the first look of the highly anticipated season 2, Luffy and his ragtag pirate crew embark on an epic high-seas adventure and set sail toward the legendary Grand Line, where danger and wonder await at every turn. As they search for the coveted One Piece treasure, the gang will face fiercer adversaries, bizarre islands, and the most perilous quests yet. Season 2 premieres on Netflix sometime in 2026, with season 3 already confirmed in an early renewal.
Spider-Man Drums Up More Hype With Official BTS Video
It’s been four years since Spider-Man: No Way Home, and fans have been eager to see Tom Holland back in action as the web-slinging superhero. Now, we have a date. Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially arrives in theatres on 31 July 2026, and filming is currently underway.
As the filming has been taking place on site in New York City, fans have been able to catch Holland in the red and blue spandex suit, swinging from street to street in a harness, and executing stunt choreography. To drum up even more anticipation, an official behind-the-scenes look has been released to show the British actor’s first day back on set.
Ed Sheeran and Rupert Grint Reunite For ‘A Little More’ MV
Who else remembers Rupert Grint as the stalker obsessed with Ed Sheeran in Lego House? Now, 14 years later, the Harry Potter star reprises his role in the music video for Sheeran’s latest single ‘A Little More’ in this comedic instalment. Witty and sharp in its lyricism, and underpinned with blues elements through its sound, ‘A Little More’ carries a message of self-preservation and moral courage.
The music video picks up where ‘Lego House’ left off. Grint, an obsessive Sheeran fan, has now been released from prison and is attempting to live a normal life. Yet, the singer seems to appear everywhere he turns. ‘A Little More’ is the latest single off Sheeran’s forthcoming album, Play, releasing on 12 September.
Is Love In The Air for Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson?
We’ve all heard about actors who fall in love on set, and Hollywood might just have its latest surprise couple with Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson! The two actors are currently on a press tour for their new movie, The Naked Gun, and onlookers couldn’t help but pick up on the natural chemistry between the pair—even sharing a quick cheek peck!
At the New York premiere, both stars posed with their two sons on the red carpet: Anderson with Brandon and Dylan from her former marriage with Tommy Lee, and Neeson with Micheál and Daniel with his late wife Natasha Richardson.
While Neeson and Anderson remain coy on the subject, sources close to them have confirmed that they are indeed in the early stages of a budding romance. “It’s sincere, and it’s clear they’re smitten with each other,” one source told People.
“[They] always had chemistry while they were filming, and their friendship naturally developed into more,” a US Weekly insider shared about their friends-to-lovers arc.
But that didn’t mean that Neeson didn’t have anything to say about his co-star. On 25 October 2024, the 73-year-old actor had high praise for Anderson in an interview with People. “With Pamela, first off, I’m madly in love with her. She’s just terrific to work with. I can’t complement her enough…She’s funny and so easy to work with.”
Anderson also had similarly positive things to say about the veteran actor, describing him as “the perfect gentleman” who “brings out the best in you…with respect, kindness, and depth of experience.”
Chappell Roan Drops Anthem for Yearners With ‘The Subway’
If you’ve ever had a love lost or got away, Chappell Roan has just the song for you. On 1 August, the Grammy Award-winning pop sensation released her highly anticipated gut-wrenching ballad, ‘The Subway’, alongside an emotional and cinematic music video.
Singing about a former lover who has left her, the dreamy heartbreak ballad explores the sting of a breakup, the memories we cannot shake, and the painful yet romantic act of yearning through Roan’s distinct songwriting style and vocal colour. ‘The Subway’ is the singer’s second number-one hit in the UK after ‘Pink Pony Club’.
Demi Lovato Isn’t Slowing Down with ‘Fast’
Another singer who has made a major comeback is Demi Lovato. Marking her return to music after her 2022 punk-rock album Holy Fvck, the ‘Heart Attack’ singer ushers in a new musical era with ‘Fast’.
With its heavily EDM-inspired sound, the house diva song is the lead single to Lovato’s upcoming ninth studio album. In the accompanying music video, the former Disney star is seen walking through a street unperturbed by the chaos around her (with some nods to her popular internet memes for keen-eyed Lovato fans) as she sets her eyes on the destination of her lover.
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