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Zara Larsson announced her new album, Venus, as the follow-up to her 2021 record, Poster Girl. To celebrate, she also revealed that she’ll be doing a European tour next year.

According to a press release, the new record is “A pop album fit for a goddess, Venus is Zara Larsson setting her own agenda – in part, by looking back on where she’s come from.”

Earlier this year, Larsson also did an interview with Uproxx where she shared more about what the album would sound like. “I think it’s super fun,” she said. “It has some highs and some lows in there – some beautiful ballads, some dancey songs. I feel like it’s just a collection of really good music. It’s how I’ve kind of always navigated in the music industry for as long as I have done this. Sonically, does it have a red thread? Not really, I think the red thread is the quality and my voice, and its dynamic.”

She previously released her “On My Love” collaboration with David Guetta.

For those who pre-order Larsson’s new record before 3 p.m. BST on Tuesday, October 31, they will get access to a special presale for the tour as well. More information about getting tickets can be found on her website.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of Zara Larsson’s tour dates.

02/16/24 — Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
02/17/24 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
02/18/24 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
02/21/24 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
02/24/24 — Paris, FR @ Le Trianon
02/25/24 — Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
03/01/24 — Cologne, DE @ Palladium
03/02/24 — Milan, IT @ Fabrique
03/04/24 — Zurich, CH @ Komplex 457
03/06/24 — Prague, CZ @ Forum
03/07/24 — Warsaw, PL @ Towar
03/08/24 — Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
03/16/24 — Reykjavik, IS @ Laugardalshollin
06/21/24 — Dublin, IR @ Fairview Park

Venus is out 2/9/2024 via Sommer House/Black Butter/Sony. Find more information here.

You know how every now and then, Nikola Jokic does something silly? Not in a “wow, look at how funny it is that he clearly wants the NBA playoffs to end so he can go back to his horses” way, but in a “how in the world did he just do that?” way.

Well, guess what, folks: We got another one of those from Jokic on Friday night. The Denver Nuggets are in Memphis to take on the Grizzlies, and during the third quarter, Jokic was set to inbound the ball following a Memphis turnover. Jokic got the ball in the backcourt and looked like he could have just given it to Reggie Jackson.

Instead, Jokic looked down the floor and saw something that he liked, so he decided to heave the ball towards his own rim. The camera could barely catch up in time to show that Aaron Gordon was chilling out over there and got behind the entire Grizzlies defense, and as a result, he was able to go up, grab the ball, and dunk.

With how good he is at connecting on deep shots, you have to wonder if the Denver Broncos will ever give Jokic a call and see if he can get the job done under center.

TikTokker Brielle Asero, a recent college graduate, had a rude awakening after her first day at a new 9-to-5, 40-hour-a-week office job. The experience had her wondering how she would find the time to have a life given her commute and long work day.

Every day, the woman has a 2-hour commute from New Jersey to New York City.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video, saying it’s not the job but the schedule that’s the problem. “I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don’t get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don’t have time to do anything!” Asero says in a video seen over 2.6 million times.

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She calls the schedule “crazy” and asks, “How do you have friends? How do you have time to meet a guy?”

“I don’t have the time to do anything,” she continued. “I want to shower, eat my dinner, and go to sleep. I don’t have the time or energy to cook my dinner either. I don’t have energy to work out, like, that’s out of the window. I’m so upset, oh my god.”

@brielleybelly123

im also getting sick leave me alone im emotional ok i feel 12 and im scared of not having time to live

After the video went viral, Asero clarified her comments in a follow-up where she noted that many people have it harder than she does.

“So me, I’m just one worker. I shouldn’t represent everybody because I don’t even have half the struggles most people do,” she said. “Most people have kids and animals. Imagine me leaving a dog or kid at home from 7:30 in the morning to 7:30 at night.”

Asero added that she is “thankful” for her job because not many companies are willing to train college graduates.

@brielleybelly123

@Business Insider @The Daily Dot heres my official comment take it and run since no one wants to run me my check $$$

@Business Insider @The Daily Dot heres my official comment take it and run since no one wants to run me my check $$$

Border collies may not officially have the title of the smartest dog breed, but no one can deny their intelligence. While some dogs are lovable oafs with seemingly few marble rolling around in their heads, border collies will amaze you with what they can do.

Recently, a video of a border collie creating its own ball fetching game by dropping a ball repeatedly at the top of the stairs and then running down to catch it at the bottom had people impressed. But another video of a border collie shows a whole other level of brain power—and jaw-dropping ability to dance.

That’s right. Dance. With specific choreography and everything.

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A video shared by petland111 on TikTok shows a woman in a dance in a starting position while Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What a Feeling” plays. A border collie begins to step towards her, and quickly we can see that it’s stepping across its body in a deliberate…well, dance.

Watching the rest of the dance unfold, it’s clear the dog has had an amazing trainer. But also, what? How?!?

Watch:

@petland111

#animalsoftiktok #dog #foryou #viral #fyp #tiktok #talent #wow

“Brilliant! Only a border collie. Best dogs ever,” wrote one commenter.

“I think this is the most extraordinary thing I have ever seen,” wrote another.

“Well, if you don’t have sheep, a choreographed dance will do,” someone quipped.

“Beautiful, both the human and the pup. Love that jump!” wrote another.

Oh, right, there was a human dancer in there as well. She’s gorgeous and graceful, but it’s hard to keep your eyes off the dancing doggo.

Never underestimate what you can train a border collie to do.

Should Halloween trick-or-treating have an age limit?

Some seem to think so, arguing that anyone past the age of thirteen has less sincere joy for the holiday, and merely uses trick-or-treating as a candy grabbing “scam”…thus potentially ruining the experience for the littles.

Certain cities have even implemented laws to enforce an age cut-off somewhere between 12-16-years-old, depending on the location. Punishment for breaking these rules vary, but in Chesapeake, Virginia it included up to six months of jail time up until 2019.

And yet, when we asked the Upworthy community this question, there was a very different answer.

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Seemingly across the board, after scouring through thousands of comments, the resounding opinion was that Halloween was for all ages.

“I think trick or treating could be a lifelong adventure.”

“There is no age cut off. It’s so wonderful to see community out interacting no matter what your age!”

“Anyone who comes to my door on Halloween saying trick or treat can have a treat. Adults supervising young children, teens who chose to do something wholesome over doing something destructive, special needs adults whose mind is younger than their body, etc. If a Snickers or a pencil decorated with black cats will make someone happy, let’s do it.”

“I think if people are trick or treating and staying out of trouble who cares how old they are.”

“A kid that is older that is trick-or-treating means that they are enjoying their innocence and not off doing something bad, wrong or illegal. Let them enjoy the little things while they can:)”

And it’s not just our readers who feel this way. According to a 2021 YouGov survey, about one in four Americans agree that children can never be too old to go trick-or-treating.

Even experts share the opinion that there is no real harm in letting older children, teens, college kids, etc., participate in going door-to-door, so long as they are respectful.

And to that end, a few suggestions. Lizzie Post, co-president at the etiquette blog Emily Post Institute, recommends that big kids make little kids the “priority,” noting that they might want to steer clear of costumes that would seem too scary or uncomfortable for small kids, saying please and thank you while taking candy (be the example!) and generally leaning into the more friendly side of Halloween, rather than the ghoulish one. (TIME)

via GIPHY

Bottom line: If dressing up and asking for candy helps someone hold onto a bit of that elusive magic for just a little while longer, why not let them, so long as they are being kind?

Childhood goes by too fast—one minute you’re a toddler and the world is big and exciting and the next you’re thrust into the mundane throes of adulthood. But that inner kid never really goes away. And maybe, just maybe, seeing another big kid out and about on All Hallows Eve offers a gentle reminder to let ours free once in a while. Yes, even now.

The old saying goes, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” and it’s true. When you love what you do, a job isn’t work at all. It can be as enjoyable as your favorite hobby while making money at the same time.

Loving what you do is also great for your health. Studies show that people who love their work live longer, and those who are constantly stressed at their jobs have a significantly higher risk of heart disease.

Bob Rohloff is a beautiful example of the benefits of having a job you love. At 91, he opened a new business, Bob’s Old Fashioned Barbershop, in Hortonville, Wisconsin.

Rohloff started cutting hair in 1948, and 60 years later, he retired with his wife, Marian, in Arizona, but it didn’t last long. After a few months, he “unretired” and went back to cutting hair. In 2010, the couple moved back to Wisconsin, and Rohloff cut hair at the Hortonville Family Barbershop.

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“Retirement isn’t that easy,” Rohloff told CNBC. “You need to stay active in something, whether it’s a hobby or a job, and I happened to enjoy my job very much … it’s fun coming into the shop; I like to do it, and I feel good, so why stop?”

Rohloff estimates he’s given over 100,000 haircuts in his life.

— (@)

Fate intervened when 55-year-old Mark Karweick, who had recently returned to Wisconsin from Michigan, was introduced to Rohloff. After talking to each other for 90 minutes, they decided to open up a shop together.

The team’s new shop is a throwback to an old-school barbershop, complete with a 100-year-old chair that Rohloff jokes is the only thing in the palace older than him. “There aren’t that many old-fashioned shops left in the country, and we’re gonna try and keep it that way,” Rohloff told Spectrum News. The shop also boasts furniture relocated from an old barber shop in Michigan.

The prices are old-fashioned, too. A standard cut is just $14 and $12 for seniors.

Rohloff is a true believer in the idea that the key to good health and longevity is to keep doing what you love. “Sitting in a La-Z-Boy, that’s no way to live. Most people got their health issues, and they either give up, or they think they can’t do anything after a certain age, but they can,” Karweick said.

There’s a lot of truth to Rohloff’s philosophy. Colin Milner, founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging, tells Fortune that following the principles of Active Aging can extend longevity and quality of life.

“Physical activity is just one of the many elements that makes up a person,” Milner says. “It’s just as important that we are socially connected and that we are intellectually active.” The keys to being an “active ager” are to stay positive, socially connected, involved with community groups, curious and calm. It’s also important to eat right and stay away from tobacco.

When asked about his advice for living a long, happy life, Rohloff believes in the importance of being active as well. “Don’t quit. I don’t think you will enjoy yourselves. Stay active in something, whether it’s a hobby or a job, but you got to stay active,” Rohloff said.

Humans have been making music since before recorded history. Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum has over 4,200 musical instruments from around the world on display, and it’s fascinating to see all the creative ways people have figured out how to make music over millennia. From turtle shell drums to animal bladder-based wind instruments, the ingenuity humans display in the pursuit of melody, harmony and rhythm is remarkable. It seems we can make music out of almost anything.

Case in point: Danish composer Peter Bastian’s plastic straw flute.

When you hear that someone made a flute out of a straw, you might think, “Yeah, I’ve done that, too.” But you’ve likely never seen one like this. Bastian played it like a double reed instrument, and it’s surprisingly enjoyable to hear the sound he could pull out of it.

In this video, Bastian displays several different sounds and styles, which range from oboe-like to medieval flute to bagpipes, so be sure to watch to the end to get the full range. Watch:

“Here is an extraordinary example of the quality of the musician being more vital than the quality of the instrument. Outstanding contrast in timbre!” wrote on commenter on YouTube.

“Not only is it a straw, it’s absolutely beautifully played, almost an oboe from nothing! Wonderful, I love the sound and the music,” wrote another.

“In 1995 I sat a few meters from him in an auditorium at my music conservatory, listening to him playing on a straw,” shared another. “It’s hard to understand how Bastian could fill up the entire hall with such incredible resonance. And at the same time making it so beautiful.”

According to IMDB, Bastion, who died in 2017, spent nine years studying physics but found himself increasingly drawn to music. Both of his parent were opera singers, and while he played multiple instruments, he primarily played bassoon and clarinet. His book, “Ind I Musikken” (“Into the Music” in English) became a bestseller and he was known for his passionate lectures on music—as well as the folk tunes played on his straw flute.

At 2:30 a.m., actor Matthew McConaughey woke up from a dream with a jingle in his head. He got up, started writing it down, and just like that, a children’s book was born.

McConaughey’s picture book, “Just Because” may be for kids, but adults are finding inspiration for themselves in it as well. A viral video of McConaughey country-rapping the book’s couplets with talk show host Jimmy Fallon got people talking about the lessons on the book that speak to them the most, such as the person who said they wanted a “Just because I want one more doesn’t mean that I need two” sign for their refrigerator.

The “alright, alright, alright” actor and the famously musical Fallon start off just lowkey “reading” the book with a little background beat, but soon they each have a mic in their hands in a full-on performance.

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With lines like, “Just because you can pull it off, doesn’t mean that you should do it, and just because you fail that don’t mean that you blew it,” McConaughey and Fallon manage to make a sing-songy rap out of some genuinely good life lessons.

Watch:

@fallontonight

Jimmy and #MatthewMcConaughey rap their way through “Just Because”. #FallonTonight

So how did Matthew McConaughey end up writing a children’s book in the first place? The father of three told the hosts of Podcrushed that he’d been thinking a lot about fatherhood and how the lens of parenthood changes everything. He said when something consumes his mind, he tends to have dreams about it.

“This was a dream I had, and I woke up at 2:30 in the morning, I went and wrote it down. All I had was the jingle, ‘Just because they threw the dart don’t mean that it stuck, and just because I got some skills don’t mean that there’s no luck.’ It was a song. I woke up and I got this great Bob Dylan diddy: ‘Just because you’re wailing doesn’t meant that you’re a crier, just because I lied does not mean that I’m a liar.’ And so the hook was ‘just because,’ and I had the beat, and I just wrote from 2:30 to 6:30 in the morning. Went back, got in bed. Got up and looked at it and was like, ‘This is good. This is fun.'”

He showed the idea to his kids, who each had different takes on different couplets. The conversations that the “just because” statements sparked in his own family demonstrated the potential for the book to be a conversation starter for all parents and kids, which is what McConaughey hopes it will do.

It even offers food for thought for people without kids.

“I didn’t know I needed a pep talk from Matthew McConaughey, let alone in this form, but alright, alright,” wrote one commenter.

“It’s supposed to be a kids book but I also lowkey need this at 35,” wrote another.

“Would it be weird to buy this for my team at work?” asked one person.

“Just because I went straight to Amazon to buy this book don’t mean I’m a sucker,” wrote another.

McConaughey seems to have a hit on his hands. You can find “Just Because” on Amazon or support independent booksellers by purchasing through Bookshop.org.

Do you remember that song, Somebody’s Watching Me from the 80s? Well, this new foster dad is probably feeling just like the guy singing the song, except about a cat that has taken to stalking and harassing him around the house. Bill found himself a sudden cat dad when his friend became sick and unable to take care of her cat, Teddy.

While Teddy behaved like a normal cat in new surroundings, (hiding under the bed and making himself scarce), it didn’t take long before he started getting comfortable around Bill. Knowing that he was likely missing his mom and needed attention, the new foster dad gave Teddy all the chin scratches and love he could. It was beautiful…until the cat decided the attention he was getting was insufficient.

Now, instead of a finicky roommate, Bill had a stalker. Teddy follows the human wherever he is in the house to demand attention in pretty rude ways.

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“He became obsessed with me. I gave him tons of attention, I played with him all the time but it was just never enough. He always wanted more,” Bill tells The Dodo. “Anytime I would turn my attention to something other than him, he would scratch at me until I turned my attention back.”

There were not just sweet gentle pawings, Teddy essentially hit and slaps Bill, grabbing pieces of his clothing as he tries to walk by and biting at him. But there’s something there between the two and it’s looking a lot like a love story in the making. Maybe one that ends in a kitty restraining order but Teddy’s playful attacks have Bill a bit smitten.

Watch their love story unfold below:

Back in September of 2023, BBC newsreader Clare Runacres celebrated 20 years of marriage with her husband Mike Ramsden. Like many folks in the modern age, Runacres commemorated the milestone by posting a picture of her wedding day onto her social media pages.

While of course two decades of marriage is lovely in its own, it turns out there was even more for Runacres to celebrate. A “miracle,” in fact.

As she explained in her post, the picture was taken only six months after discovering that a cancer she had been diagnosed with during college had returned. What’s more, it was aggressive, with zero options for treatment.

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As she explained in her post, the picture was taken only six months after discovering that a cancer she had been diagnosed with during college had returned. What’s more, it was aggressive, with zero options for treatment.

The news prompted the couple to marry immediately, and despite the harrowing news, their special day was “beautiful,” Runacres noted, surrounded by love, tears, friends and dancing til dawn.

But you don’t have to take her word for it, the pure joy is evident in Runacre’s photos. Take a look.

See on Instagram

The BBC star told Daily Mail that although she did undergo surgery to remove the new cancer, just before her wedding day her doctors still told her she would probably only have six months to live.

Runacres and her beloved didn’t think they’d make it to their first anniversary. And now, at their 20th, can’t help but get emotional when she sees images from that day.

“Mikey, thank you for taking a chance on me. You’re the best person I know. You are my miracle,” Runacres concluded in her caption. “For those living with cancer – keep hoping, believing, dreaming.”

Indeed, Runacres’ touching post inspired optimism to those going through their own difficult health challenges—be it themselves or a loved one.

Take a look as what readers shared:

“This brings me so much joy! My 5 yo has cancer. There’s a 35% chance it will return by the time she’s a teen and the medications are not kind on her poor little body. To have hope in a future like this is beyond words.”

“I’m 4 years in remission of stage 3 bowel cancer, constantly worrying about it returning and reading your post has made my heart sing with hope.”

“As someone diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 4 months ago, this post has brought me so much joy and hope. Thank you for sharing ❤️”

Others contributed. their own miracle stories. One person commented, “my mom got diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer…October 2009…She’s still here. Cancer free. I thank God for healing and using the doctors and treatment , her survival rate for 5 years was 1%.”

Another added, “I was given 48 hrs to live in fall of 2018. Jokes on them! I’m still here! Don’t ever give up!”

While feelings of hope might not technically change a person’s chance for survival (though many survivors have attributed a key part of their success to optimism), studies have shown that positive thought can at least improve the quality of life for someone dealing with cancer.

And really, on a more universal level, none of us really know how much time we have on this planet. We can do all the “right” things and still get sick. We can receive a life-threatening diagnosis and live on for years after. So hearing stories like this reminds us to treat each day as a precious milestone. And that maybe we shouldn’t hold off on the celebrating.