During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (October 28), Reba McEntire shared a story about the time back in 2020 when she accidentally took a 25mg gummy while she was caring for her late mother, Jacqueline, who was suffering from bladder cancer. McEntire’s sister Alice instructed her, “Now, if Mama starts hurting tonight when y’all go to sleep, give her one of these gummies.” "Well, I wasn’t really comfortable with that," McEntire explained. "So, when we started going to bed, I said, ‘Mama, let’s get ahead of this pain. I’m gonna give you half of this.’” When her mom quickly went to sleep, Reba thought to herself, “Well, shoot. Mama’s taking it. I need to see what she’s experiencing.” The gummy worked on Reba as well, who admitted, “I laid down, and I swear there was weeds and flowers growing out of my head. I took 25 milligrams, gave my mom 25 milligrams. Still took care of Mama!" (People)

Kacey Musgraves shared a series of Instagram Stories on Sunday that captured her frightening recent encounter with a venomous Timber rattlesnake. The country superstar praised her trusty Australian cattle dog, Pepper, who she said “honestly saved me” from stepping on the snake while walking barefoot with two friends. Sadly, the poor pup suffered a snakebite in the process of trying to protect her, though Musgraves shared that she "Got her to the vet quick" for a dose of antivenom. Musgraves shared a series of photos and videos of Pepper at the vet and getting an IV, commenting, "The bite made her lethargic. Those who have Blue Heelers know they ain't ever this calm." The singer shared updates of Pepper’s progress on Monday, revealing that her beloved hero pup was "home and sleeping a lot / on paid meds and getting lots of love,” before writing, “Thank God for good dogs.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Beyoncé took to Instagram on Tuesday morning (October 29) to pay affectionate tribute to country music legend Willie Nelson. The two music icons met for only the second time at a “Get Out the Vote” rally in Beyoncé's hometown of Houston on Friday. Bey’s post features a series of sweet backstage photos of the duo, as well as a candid pic of Willie performing, and Beyoncé affectionately clutching one of his iconic headbands that she received as a keepsake. “The Great Willie! You are the coolest!” Bey wrote. “I admire you, and I sincerely thank you for being the pioneer you are. Thanks for your impactful music, your advocacy, and the gracious way you appreciate and celebrate other artists! You are 1 of 1. You were so kind to me and the girls of Destiny’s Child when we fanned out meeting you years ago. And you greeted me with the same kindness 20 years later! You are one of our national treasures. Sending my love to you ❤️🐝🇨🇱🤠” (Billboard)

The Morgan Wallen Foundation partnered with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to provide assistance to music students across the United States. The groups donated $500,000 worth of musical instruments to music programs throughout the country as part of the “One Instrument at a Time” initiative. The program is donating musical instruments to schools in need across 14 cities that Wallen played on his record-setting One Night at a Time Tour. Those cities include Arlington, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Denver; East Rutherford, N.J.; Hershey, Pa.; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Nashville; Oxford, Miss.; Philadelphia; Tampa.; and Virginia Beach. “When I was a kid, access to music profoundly changed my life and gave me a sense of purpose,” Wallen said in a statement. “I want that for others, and I’m blessed to be able to provide instruments to these schools through my foundation. We really wanted to say a big thank you to these awesome communities that welcome us in and let us play for our fans.” (Billboard)

Bunnie XO is clearly already in the holiday spirit, but her husband Jelly Roll just wants to get through Halloween first. On Sunday (October 27), Bunnie shared a throwback TikTok video where she FaceTimed the country superstar to ask if she can start decorating for Christmas a little early that year. “I was wondering if you think it’s too early to get a Christmas tree,” Bunnie asks, which prompts Jelly to emphatically respond, “It’s not even Halloween! Yes, it’s too early.” Bunnie then playfully says, “OK, I’m going to get one tomorrow. Love you!” The Dumb Blonde podcast host captioned her clip, “#onthisday its never too early 😂#jellyandbunnie,” while writing over the top of the video, “I can’t believe he said no 😡.” Jelly Roll has plenty to be thankful for as the holiday season starts, having just notched his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with Beautifully Broken earlier this month. (Billboard)

On November 15, Brooks & Dunn are releasing their Reboot II project, which features reworkings of their classic songs with contemporary country stars. The album includes collaborations with A-list artists Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, HARDY, and Megan Moroney, along with a high-profile pairing with chart-topping Morgan Wallen. Brooks & Dunn shared a teaser of their hotly-anticipated collaboration with Wallen in an Instagram video, which features snippets of the song as well as the three musicians talking about the song together in the studio. “Pretty much whatever vehicle I got into as a kid it was blaring [Brooks & Dunn's] music,” Wallen says of getting to work with his musical heroes. “It's a little bit intimidating and challenging, and for me, I don't wanna stray too far from what I consider something that's perfect. We added a little bit of flavor to it, but it still keeps a lot of the OG too.” (Holler)

London’s summer concert series BST Hyde Park announced on Instagram on Friday (October 25) that Zach Bryan will be one of the headliners during their 2025 live schedule. The country superstar will perform on Saturday, June 28, with opening acts set to be announced soon. Bryan joins the only other act announced so far for Hyde Park in 2025, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, who will play their final show ever on Sunday, July 13. Bryan’s headlining announcement comes after Morgan Wallen delivered a record-setting show at BST Hyde Park on July 4, 2024, which is the largest country music concert ever held in the history of the UK. BST Hyde Park excitedly captioned their post, “@zachlanebryan is headlining his first UK festival in London’s Hyde Park next summer! One of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Zach Bryan, is coming to @bsthydepark on Saturday 28 June 2025, with a full lineup to be announced. 🎸” Pre-sale tickets are available now, with general on-sale starting at 10am GMT on Wednesday (October 30). (Holler)

Eric Church’s commitment to helping out the people impacted by Hurricane Helene didn’t stop with this past weekend’s The Concert for Carolina. The country superstar shared a personal video during the benefit show where he announced his long-term dedication to being involved in the state's ongoing recovery. The video is available to watch via Church’s Chief Cares charity site. "Our mission in North Carolina is to be here for the long haul," Church says in the clip. "We are going to start by immediately building homes for 100 families in Avery County and the surrounding areas, and keeping these communities preserved and rebuilt." Chief Cares has subsequently launched an initiative called Blue Print for the Blue Ridge, with an immediate goal to build 100 homes in the Avery County community, which the North Carolina native has a special affinity for. Church hopes that this is just the start of his ongoing involvement in the rebuilding of the storm-ravaged areas in his home state. (Taste of Country)

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon initially reached out to Bonnie Raitt to see if he could clear a sample of her 1989 classic, “Nick of Time,” for Charli XCX’s remix of Brat’s emotional standout, “I Think About It All The Time.” And between Charli introducing a new generation to Raitt, and Maggie Rogers honoring her by affectionately covering “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” the music legend is clearly experiencing a “Raittaisance.” “I’m just a working musician,” Raitt says. “But it’s been a remarkable blooming time for me.” That includes her winning Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys for “Just Like That,” over music luminaries Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Adele, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé. As for what Raitt thinks of Charli’s use of her song? “It’s hard to know exactly which parts they used,” she says. “It mostly sounds like her, but it has a different tone to it, and I know there’s one isolated part of my voice. But they did a really artful job — I was very honored.” (Rolling Stone)

Morgan Wallen’s new single, “Love Somebody,” debuts atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its first week of release. “Love Somebody” becomes Wallen’s third No. 1 single of his career, joining his collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” which topped the charts back in May (and sits at No. 6 on the current chart), and “Last Night,” which reigned for 16 weeks at No. 1 back in 2023. Another strong debut this week comes from BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT,” which launches at No. 8. The rest of the Billboard Hot 100 Top 5 is rounded out by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which finally relinquishes its 15-week hold at No. 1 by slipping a spot to No. 2, Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” drops a spot to No. 3, Mars’ other Top 10 charting collaboration this week, “Die With a Smith”  with Lady Gaga, stays put at No. 4, and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” drops two spots to No. 5. (Billboard)

During an appearance at the 2024 Instyle Imagemaker Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday (October 24), Lana Del Rey shared details about the progress she is making on her highly-anticipated country album, Lasso. "I think all the songs have been Americana and I want to wait to see what the musical atmosphere feels like," says the just-married 39-year-old singer about her forthcoming record. "We'll see,” Del Rey said about giving a specific release date to Lasso, while insisting her fans “can be excited for all the other good stuff going on. We’ll get there. First things first!" Lana is clearly feeling good about the new work she is getting done in the studio so far. “The songs I have, I love, so I don't want to turn it into something that's half cooked, even if it's super stripped back,” she said. “I want it to be what it was supposed to be." (People)

To celebrate the official release of his new single, “Love Somebody” back on October 18, Morgan Wallen just released a live version of his emotional new song, which was filmed and recorded on September 22 on the second of two sold-out nights at University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. The corresponding live music video for the tune – directed by David Lehr and David Forehand and co-directed by Global Extreme – features scenes of Wallen’s triumphant homecoming show interspersed with impressive overhead drone shots of the jam-packed stadium. “’Love Somebody’ is a little bit of a new approach lyrically and sonically,” Wallen shared about his new single. “I wanted to try something different, with what I wanted to talk about, how I wanted it to sound, and we were inspired by Latin-leaning influences. I’m really excited about this song and pumped that it is out.” (Holler)

On Saturday night (October 26) at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, some of music’s biggest stars along with 82,193 supportive fans gathered for the Concert For Carolina. The benefit to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Helene – organized by country stars and Carolina natives Luke Combs and Eric Church – was delayed for two hours due to severe weather. But the six-hour show was filled with memorable moments while raising an astounding $24.5 million for hurricane relief funds.

Church started the night with a hymn-like cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” while Billy Strings’ acoustic set featured a cover of NC legend Doc Watson’s “Train That Carried My Girl from Town.” Carolina native James Taylor’s poignant anthems “Fire and Rain,” and “Carolina in My Mind” all soared, while a surprise appearance by country legend Randy Travis moved the crowd as his wife Mary gave an emotional speech. Combs played a series of hits before Church joined him for the first-ever live performance of their 2020 No. 1 hit, “Does to Me.” Nicole Kidman even joined in the festivities, getting the crowd to serenade her husband Keith Urban with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” on his 57th birthday. (Billboard)

Kelsea Ballerini just released her fifth studio album, Patterns, on Friday (October 25). There is a newfound sense of maturity and vulnerability within the record's 15 tracks, as the 31-year-old openly addresses her recent divorce while also adjusting to a new decade of her life. “I think this thing happens when you turn 30 where you kind of assess your life,” says Ballerini in a new People magazine feature. “And I came up for air and I was like, ‘Okay, all right, let's take a little inventory here. What in my life right now do I love? What feels uncomfortable?” While answering those probing questions about herself, Ballerini hit on the underlying message of the entire album, with those personal revelations, concerns, and habits of hers addressed head-on in her songwriting. “That's, really, thematically the whole record,” reveals Ballerini. “It's just a deep dive in the self-assessment of entering my thirties.” (People)

On Friday (October 23), Joe Walsh announced on Instagram that the upcoming 2024 VetsAid Concert set to take place at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York on November 11 has been canceled “due to circumstances beyond organizers' control.”  Despite the cancellation of the benefit show, VetsAid still promises to disburse $400,000 to the already announced grant recipients. “I am disappointed in the cancellation of this year’s event and apologize for any inconvenience to our fans,” Walsh wrote. But the former Eagles member and solo legend was proud to share that $400,000 will still benefit a series of “fine organizations who will focus these funds on the ground in New York and New Jersey to veterans who have sacrificed so much and asked for so little in return.“ In addition to Walsh’s set, the 2024 VetsAid Concert was going to feature performances from Post Malone, Eric Church, Toto, and Kool & the Gang. (Billboard)

Yeat’s new album, Lyfestyle, debuts at the top of the Billboard 200 chart this week, giving the rapper his first No. 1 album of his career. Yeat’s previous record, 2093, ascended to No. 2 back in March. Elsewhere in the Billboard 200 Top 10, SEVENTEEN’s new album, SPILL THE FEELS, debuts at No. 5, while Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us jumps up 11 spots to No. 8 following a deluxe reissue, cracking the Top 10 for the first time since it debuted at No. 2 in July. Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet moves up two spots to No. 2, Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken falls two spots to No. 3 after debuting at No. 1 last week. Rod Wave’s Last Lap falls two spots to No. 4, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time jumps up three slots to No. 6, GloRilla’s Glorious slides two spots to No. 7, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft drops two spots to No. 9, and BigXthaPlug’s Take Care slides two spots to No. 10. (Billboard)

On Tuesday (October 22), Ella Langley took to Instagram to announce her 2025 Still Hungover Tour dates. The country music sensation’s 17-date trek kicks off on January 23 in Oklahoma City, and winds down two-months later on April 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Music fans were clearly excited about the prospect of seeing Langley perform live, as the singer followed-up on Instagram only one day after announcing her tour to reveal that every date on her entire run had already sold-out. “What!!!! Y’all sold out the whole dang tour in one day 🤯 thank you 🥺,” she wrote appreciatively in the caption. In the midst of her excellent week, Langley also performed live on The Today Show on Tuesday, even bringing out her frequent collaborator and tourmate Riley Green for a rendition of their Top 10 country hit, “You Look Like You Love Me.” (All Country News) 

It’s been three long years since Olivia Ellen Lloyd shared her debut album, Loose Cannon. The country singer just announced that she is releasing her long-awaited follow-up record, Do It Myself, in March of 2025. To tide her patient fans over until the album drops, Lloyd shared a brand new single, “Every Good Man.” “Do It Myself was all written within the last three years,” Lloyd says. “A transformative and often painful time as I entered my thirties and began to make shape of my life, just in time to notice how quickly and easily we discard women for being too old, too difficult, too different or too independent." To celebrate the release of her new song and album announcement, Lloyd just hit the road for a brief 9-city run of shows with Red McAdam that the duo dubbed the Pretty Dumb & Sorta Young Tour. The jaunt continues on Friday (October 24) in Greenville, North Carolina, before winding down on November 2 in Brooklyn. (Holler)   

To promote the release of their new album, Mama’s Boys, on Friday (October 25), the Oak Ridge Boys shared an emotional new single from the record, “Her Voice.” The song is filled with the band’s memories of their own mothers singing and reading to them when they were younger, giving them advice as they got older, and hearing her heavenly voice speaking to them even now. “Mothers are one of the greatest gifts we have in our lives,” says William Lee Golden. “The Oak Ridge Boys’ new album is a dedication to every mother out there, who loves their family until the end. I’d do anything to hear my mother’s voice, one more time.” The Grammy Award-winning group and Country Music Hall of Famers have once again teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, with Mama’s Boys recorded at the legendary RCA Studio A and Blackbird Studios in Nashville. (Holler)

During a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Luke Bryan reflected on his career trajectory while admitting that his peak years are most likely behind him. “Every artist hits their peak," says the country music superstar. "I was selling out football stadiums. Three or four years I did it. I know that's my peak, probably. I'm not even gonna say probably. I know it is. I'm a realist." While prepping the release of his recent album, Mind of a Country Boy, Bryan said he was unsure if his fans were even interested in a new record from him. "I didn't wanna put the damn album out, because the reality is, I'm not at the height," Bryan admits. "So, we put the album out, and I said, 'You know what, no albums sell. Nothing sells anymore.’ I knew something negative would come by me putting the album out, based on, it may not sell. And it sold what I thought it would do." (Taste of Country)