1. Taylor Swift is about to release a surprise new album
Look what coronavirus quarantine made Taylor Swift do: put together a surprise new album. On Thursday, Swift revealed that at midnight, she's releasing a previously-unannounced eighth studio album that she wrote and recorded "in isolation" called Folklore. "Most of the things I had planned this summer didn't end up happening, but [this] is something I hadn't planned on that did happen," Swift wrote. The singer, who just released her seventh studio album Lover in 2019, said that although the music was recorded in isolation, she collaborated with Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, William Bowery, and Jack Antonoff. In terms of the release, she described how she might have previously "overthought" when to put the album out, but "the times we're living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed."
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2. Demi Lovato is engaged, and has a huge ring to prove it
Could have seen this one coming! Following months of posting romantic photos with cheesy captions on Instagram, Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich are officially engaged. "I love you more than a caption could express but I'm ecstatic to start a family and life with you," Lovato, 27, wrote to Ehrich, 29, on Instagram. "You are every love song, every film, every lyric, every poem, everything I could ever dream of and then some in a partner in life," Ehrich wrote in return. The news comes less than four months after People confirmed the couple were dating; a source explained that Lovato and Ehrich "grew closer while social distancing together." Uhh, but also, would you look at that ring!
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3. An Empire spinoff starring Taraji P. Henson is in development at Fox
Cookie Lyon will return. A spinoff of Empire about Taraji P. Henson's character is reportedly in development at Fox. Henson will apparently be back to star as Cookie, and she'll also produce the show. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Empire never did get a proper series finale, as coronavirus shutdowns forced the last season to wrap prematurely before the ending was filmed. This could potentially, then, be an odd example where the plot of a series is actually wrapped up as originally intended in a totally different show. As of yet, the Cookie spinoff does not have an official title, but might we suggest Empire Strikes Back?
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4. One Direction (minus Zayn) celebrates 10 year anniversary
It's a good day to reminisce about One Direction — unless your name is Zayn Malik. Britain's greatest boy band (sorry, Paul) celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Thursday, giving 1D members and fans alike a prime opportunity to take a walk down memory lane. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan all shared social media sentiments thanking fans and expressing gratitude, and the band's accounts shared a video montage commemorating the milestone. Noticeably silent was Malik, who left the band in 2015, one year before his bandmates decided to take a hiatus. Following Malik's departure, the remaining band members produced another record that sold 2.4 million copies, proving to fans that nobody can drag them down — not even one of their own.
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5. ABBA has reportedly written their first new music in 35 years
Mamma Mia, here we go again! ABBA has recorded five new songs that will reportedly be "out in 2021," according to Geoff Lloyd, the co-host of Reasons To Be Cheerful, who spoke with band member Björn Ulvaeus over Zoom. The recordings are the Swedish quartet's first new music in 35 years — their last album was in 1982, when the band, made up of two married couples, split — and follows canceled plans for a holographic tour this year. "The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence," the band explained in an announcement. "We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio."
The Independent Deadline
