Carly Pearce’s ‘Honest Woman’ (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)
Carly Pearce’s pivotal 2021 album, 29: Written in Stone, painted an unflinching picture of a young woman in the aftermath of a very public divorce from fellow star Michael Ray.
On 2024’s hummingbird, she began to spread her wings, somewhere between the breakup angst of “We Don’t Fight Anymore” and the revenge anthem “Truck on Fire.”
Now, as her fifth album waits for it Aug. 28 release, its cover shows her confidently smiling over her shoulder as she forges ahead, a wide, sunny field calling in the distance.
This time, she’s making bold statements with songs like the already-released “Church Girl,” which dares to challenge some long held religious norms. It ignited such a lively discourse on her socials, Carly herself stepped in to turn down the temperature.
“I named it Honest Woman,” she says of the record, “because, first of all, being a woman is something to be celebrated, and life experience comes with age. And I’m tired of living in a society where I shouldn’t say that I’m 36 years old, because I’m in the prime of my life.”
“And it’s funny that you would say ‘bold,'” she reacts to the “Church Girl” characterization, “because with this album, when I went in to write it and pick songs for it, it was like ‘I want to be bold and I want show other things that mean something to me and things that I want to stand on unapologetically in the way that my heroes did.'”
Immediately after its release, Carly’s taking the album to her fans, performing two shows each in seven major cities. Honest Woman: Up Close kicks off Sept. 10 in Detroit and wraps Oct. 22 in New York City.
Noah Kahan performs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on The Great Divide world tour (Patrick McCormack)
Vermont may have Stick Season, but that doesn’t mean it’s open season on signs — specifically, the sign marking the road in Strafford, Vermont, where Noah Kahan used to live.
In his song “The View Between the Villages,” Noah sings, “Past Alger Brook Road/ I’m over the bridge/ A minute from home/ But I feel so far from it.” On his Instagram Story Friday, Noah wrote, “I’ve been informed that Alger Brook Road sign in Stafford has been repeatedly stolen. It is total disrespect to the folks who live on that road and a headache for the town to deal with.”
He goes on say, “I hate that because I put the road name in a song that some people have taken that as an invitation to disrupt the lives of the hardworking and kind people who frequent it.”
Noah then offers to pay for any replacement signs, and asks the townspeople or the town’s board members to get in touch him or his mom. He adds, “I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this.”
“The Great Divide” singer concludes by reminding his fans “how deeply protective I am over my family’s privacy, and of the sanctuary of where I am from,” noting, “Please don’t disturb these places or people.”
Of course, Noah can’t go back home to deal with this, since he’s currently on his sold-out The Great Divide world tour. He played at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on Sunday and is set to play the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Phillip Phillips has released a new single, and it’ll be followed by a new EP and then a tour.
The song, “Let’s Go Far,” is out now, and the EP, Let’s Go Far: Vol. 1, is due Sept. 4. It’s his second new song of 2026, following “Homesick,” which he put out right after he ended his run as “Pugcasso” on The Masked Singer in April. Phillip tells ABC Audio that appearing on the show was just the “jump start” that he needed to get the musical ball rolling again.
“I’ll just write music and not release it and just be at home, be with my family. Like, that’s just me,” says Phillip, who’s dad to son Patch, 6, and daughter Isla, 1. “It kinda gave [me] a reason to [be] like, ‘Hey, let’s try to get on this, and let’s get the career back on track a little bit.'”
Phillip says with his new EP, fans should get ready for a new level of honesty.
“A lot of stuff I’ve been writing about is about what’s been going on in my life, even dealing with some things from my past that I’ve written about, but I’ve always been a little more — not as ‘on the nose’ about,” he explains. “And for me, it’s been very vulnerable to be able to do that. And … therapeutic, you know what I mean?”
Tickets are on sale now for the American Idol winner’s Let’s Go Far tour, starting Sept. 10 in Dallas, Texas.
“It’ll be smaller venues, you know, just easing back into it,” he says. “I’ve really gotten picky on how long I want to be gone on the road and away from my family.”
“And I’ll be super stressed leading up to the tour and then hopefully everything falls into place very nicely.”
Cover of Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery’s ‘The Roaring Waves’ (InsideOutMusic)
Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery, the original guitarist for progressive rock band Marillion, have shared the first single off their upcoming instrumental album, The Roaring Waves.
The track, ”The Black Sea,” is described by Rothery as “the perfect introduction to the sonic world we’ve created between us,” adding, “We have a very special chemistry.”
“For ‘The Black Sea,’ our joint guitar sounds with the keys created a strong vibe of intrigue along with a sense of a musical dark sea adventure,” Hackett adds.
The Roaring Waves, dropping Aug. 28, is made up of seven songs that are described as ranging “from the dexterously ridiculous to the brilliantly sublime, though with one common theme: the profundity of the sea.”
In other Steve Hackett-related news, Genesis has announced they’re releasing their 1974 album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, in Dolby Atmos as a standalone Blu-ray audio disc for the first time. The Blu-ray was previously only available as part of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition box set, which was released in September.
Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in ‘Toy Story 5.’ (Walt Disney Pictures)
Like the claw machine in the very first movie, Toy Story 5 is keeping its grips tight on the #1 spot at the box office.
According to Box Office Mojo, the fifth installment in the long-running Pixar series added $70 million in its second weekend following its $160 million debut, which marked the best domestic opening for any movie so far in 2026. It’s total domestic gross is now close to $300 million.
Supergirl, however, had a harder time taking off in its debut week. The latest installment in the DC Universe, starring Milly Alcock as the Kara Zor-El, took second place with an opening weekend of $38 million.
The horror sensation Obsession stands at #3 with an extra $9.8 million, bringing its total domestic gross to over $230 million. Jackass: Best and Last, the swan song for Johnny Knoxville and company’s comedy stunt series, debuted at #4 with $8.4 million, while Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi epic Disclosure Day rounded out the top five with $8.1 million.
Here are the top 10 films at the box office:
1. Toy Story 5 — $70 million 2. Supergirl — $38 million 3. Obsession — $9.8 million 4. Jackass: Best and Last — $8.4 million 5. Disclosure Day — $8.1 million 6. Backrooms — $4.3 million 7. Scary Movie — $3 million 8. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity — $3 million 9. Masters of the Universe — $2.2 million 10. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — $1.6 million
Disney is the parent company of Pixar and ABC News.
Artwork for ‘Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness’ (ABC News Studios)
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts and ABC News national correspondent Will Reeve are celebrating the occasion by highlighting some of the nation’s greatest stories, triumphs and innovations in Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness.
Roberts says the special arrives at a time when many Americans are experiencing “so many complicated emotions” about the country.
“We had a chance to think about where this country has been, the diversity of this country, the inventiveness of this country, the difficulties that people have faced in this country so we sort of use that as a backdrop but to highlight so many things about our country,” she tells ABC Audio, mentioning her coverage of the Savannah Bananas, Pan Am flight attendants and more.
She notes the country has a lot to celebrate and reflect on, highlighting it’s beauty, uniqueness and resilience.
“This is a country that has not only been through a lot, we’ve been built through love and sweat and tears and sacrifice, but there’s also a lot to look at and to stand in wonder of,” Roberts says. “There are a lot of moments that are worth celebrating and also moments that are worth…contemplating and wondering…how we might be better and stronger as a country.”
Ultimately, Roberts hopes the special gives viewers a sense of joy.
“There are a lot of people who might be a little conflicted right now because of the politics in this country about how they feel about celebrating,” she says. “I hope people will take away a real feeling of depth and of heart and exploration from this special and also too, of course, just some fun.”
Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness airs Monday at 8 p.m. ETon ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu, with Roberts hosting from Walt Disney World Resort and Reeve from Disneyland.
Lauryn Hill performs onstage during the BET Awards 2026 at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
The BET Awards 2026 returned Sunday night, honoring Black excellence across music, television, film and more.
T.I. kicked off the show fresh off the release of his final album, Kill the King. Host Druski then took the stage to revive his viral church skit and lay out the rules, including a 30-second speech limit.
Throughout the night, he also spoofed the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, brought his Coulda Been Records auditions to the stage and shared a comedic moment with Martin Lawrence.
Leon Thomas took home best male R&B/pop artist, while Kehlani won best female R&B/pop artist after performing a stripped-down rendition of “Folded” alongside Jamie Foxx on piano and his daughter Anelise on guitar. Doechii and SZA accepted the BET Her Award, with Doechii teasing new music. Other winners included Clipse, whose Let God Sort Em Out earned album of the year, and Cardi B, who won best female hip hop artist.
Among the night’s special honors, music executive Sylvia Rhone received the Ultimate Icon Award following a speech by Kelly Rowland.
Teyana Taylor was presented the Icon of the Year by Janet Jackson. She hugged Janet, telling her, “There is no me without you,” before reflecting on her career, saying she had “worked my a** off” to be honored as an Icon.
The evening ended with a tribute to Living Legend Icon recipient Ms. Lauryn Hill, featuring The War and Treaty, SZA, Doechii, Tems, Doja Cat, Nas, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Common and others. Lauryn then surprised the audience with performances of “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything,” and encouraged fellow Black artists not to “sell your gift short.”
Additional performances came from Don Toliver, RAYE, Cardi B, French Montana, Max B, Rick Ross, Tems, Baby Keem, KWN, Kenny Iko and Erica Campbell during the in memoriam, with Ari Lennox, George Clinton, Durand Bernarr, and BJ the Chicago Kid paying homage to D’Angelo.
(LOS ANGELES) — As several wildfires burn across the West, parts of the Four Corners region will once again see an extremely critical fire weather danger which could help current or new fires rapidly grow and become more dangerous.
The largest wildfire in Utah, the Cottonwood Fire, has burned more than 71,000 acres and remains 0% contained. Meanwhile, the Iron Fire has burned more than 40,000 acres and is 38% contained, while the Cherry Fire — a merger of the Maple Peak Fire and the original Cherry Fire — has burned an estimated 20,000 acres and is 0% contained.
Six states in the West are under Red Flag Warnings for dangerous fire weather conditions today, with some continuing to see them through Sunday.
The greatest risk area for fire weather conditions later Saturday is for parts of the Four Corners: eastern Utah, western Colorado, northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico. This area is under the level 3 of 3 threat with an extremely critical fire weather risk in place. Hot, extremely dry and windy conditions are bringing favorable conditions for new fires to spark and spread rapidly.
Vegetation in the area is incredibly dry, providing ample, quick-burning fuel for wildfires. In the extreme risk area, sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 55 mph are forecast with relative humidity values dipping into the single digits.
These conditions will promote extreme fire behavior in an area already dealing with large uncontrolled wildfires. Existing wildfires could explode in size and move erratically with new fires potentially growing rapidly as well.
Breezy and dry conditions will continue across this portion of the West this weekend; however, cooler temperatures will be settling in.
All of this comes after many states in the West, including Utah, saw their lowest snowpack on record this winter and are now under extreme drought conditions, which is furthering the critical fire weather danger in the region.
Severe thunderstorms and flooding The threat for flash flooding and severe storms continues in parts of the country on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, rounds of heavy rain are moving through parts of southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, and these areas remain under a Flood Watch until later this morning for the potential of flash flooding.
Flood Watches extend from southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas to northern West Virginia and southern Ohio for potentially heavy rain today into tomorrow. This includes places such as Charleston, West Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana; and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
Some of these pockets of rain could have strong storms that produce gusty winds and lightning.
Two pockets of severe weather for Saturday include those centered over North Carolina and the other up towards the northern High Plains.
For much of North Carolina, a level 2 of 5 threat for severe storms is up for later Saturday into the evening for the potential for storms producing damaging winds.
Back towards the northern High Plains, a level 3 of 5 “enhanced risk” of severe storms is up for parts of west-central North Dakota, eastern Montana and northwest South Dakota – including Minot, North Dakota, and Glendive, Montana.
A level 2 of 5 threat for severe storms extends further into Montana and the Dakotas and also reaches down to western Nebraska, which includes Bismarck, North Dakota; Rapid City, South Dakota; Sheridan, Wyoming; and Valentine, Nebraska.
Storms here could produce damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes.
Extreme heat on the move Over the weekend, extreme heat will be building in the center of the country, starting in the southern Plains on Saturday and becoming more expansive across the central U.S. by Sunday.
There is growing confidence that a dangerous heat wave will impact millions across the Midwest early next week, with big heat also building across much of the East Coast by midweek.
By Monday, widespread highs in the 90s are forecast across the Midwest, with afternoon temperatures soaring into the upper 90s in Minneapolis.
Humid conditions will make it feel even hotter with heat index values potential reaching the triple digits in many areas.
Chicago and Detroit will see highs reaching the mid-to- upper 90s by Tuesday and Wednesday.
And a large swath of the I-95 corridor is set for a heat wave beginning Tuesday as the heat builds east, with temperatures at or above 90 from Washington, D.C., to New York and stay through at least midweek.
Meanwhile in the West, below average temperatures arriving this weekend will likely linger across the region through at least the first half of next week.
Undated photo of a bison in Yellowstone National Park. (Yellowstone National Park)
(NEW YORK) — A child visiting Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming was injured by a bison on Friday, according to park officials.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:15 a.m. local time near Mud Volcano, just north of Fishing Bridge.
The 12-year-old visitor was transported by emergency medical personnel to a nearby hospital, according to a release from Yellowstone National Park, which did not detail the extent of the injuries.
No further details on the encounter were released. The incident remains under investigation.
Park officials warned that the wildlife in Yellowstone, including bison, can be dangerous and become aggressive if people “do not respect their space.”
“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” the park said. “They are unpredictable, can run three times faster than humans and will defend their space when threatened.”
Last year, park officials reported two separate incidents of a person being gored by a bison in Yellowstone after approaching it too closely.
There were two reported incidents of a person injured by a bison in 2024 and one in 2023, park officials said.
Park goers are advised to stay at least 25 yards away from all large animals — including bison, as well as elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes — and at least 100 yards away from bears, wolves and cougars.
“If wildlife approach you, move away to maintain the required distance,” the park said. “Never approach, touch, feed or crowd wildlife, even if an animal appears calm.”
‘Touch and Go’ album artwork. (Fuzze-Flex Records)
Collective Soul has announced the wide release of the band’s new album, Touch and Go.
The “Shine” outfit’s 13th studio effort, which was previously released as an exclusive for the 2026 Record Store Day, will be available via your music listening outlet of choice on July 31.
In first detailing Touch and Go, Collective Soul described the record as being influenced by new wave music.
Touch and Go is the follow-up to 2024’s Here to Eternity. Here is the track list:
“Rainbow” “Eye on You” “Uh Oh” “All My Days on Thru” “Heavy Load” “Fun” “Again” “Feel” “Shooting for You” “Love Your Way”
