With his stadium-packing shows and massive hits including “Beautiful Crazy,” “When It Rains It Pours” and his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” it may seem obvious that music has been Luke Combs‘ passion his whole life.

But even as a sophomore at Appalachian University in Boone, North Carolina, Combs was already having to make tough choices when it came to following that passion.

During a recent episode of The Dog Walk With Eddie, Combs recalled that he had rushed at Kappa Alpha Order, but was quickly forced to make a decision between the fraternity and music, due to a scheduling conflict in which the frat’s “Big Brother” reveal was the same night as his a cappella group’s concert.

“On Big Brother reveal night we had a concert for the a cappella group, the same night that was gonna be at the same time,” he said, adding that he was “already kind of over” the process of pledging for a fraternity.

“Why does anyone really join a fraternity? To go to parties and meet chicks is kind of the deal, right?” Combs said. “So I tell the guys, ‘Hey, I really gotta do this concert tonight.’ Because there’s only like 12 people in the group; it’s not like there’s a thousand guys in the a cappella group. I’m like, ‘Your boy’s got solos. I can’t just not go,’ [but] they were like, ‘You’re either doing this or that.'”

When he was forced by his potential fraternity brothers to choose, it seems his decision was quickly made.

“I was like, ‘Well, I’m doing that, dude. I’m out,’” Combs said. Reflecting on it, he said, “It was tough, but I made the right choice. … I ended up here … but I would have loved to do both. … There was no wiggle room.”

Though he added in the interview that he held “no hard feelings” after having made the decision, he noted, “I was just like, ‘I kind of already sing and I’m already kinda good at that. All I’m doing with you guys is paying to be your friend, which I already have a lot of friends anyways.’ It just didn’t line up.”

Of course, pursuing music has paid off for Combs. He just released his new song “Back in the Saddle,” and has had three top 10 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 (so far). Four of his albums have reached the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart, while he’s garnered 18 No. 1 Country Airplay hits. After spearheading his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour, Combs is playing shows in 2025 including Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, and his own Bootleggers Bonfire event, slated for October.

Teyana Taylor revealed on Wednesday (Aug. 6) that she’ll be undergoing emergency surgery after a noncancerous growth was discovered on her vocal cords.

The rapper-actress shared the health update to her Instagram Story, but promised that while she’ll need to cancel some upcoming appearances, like an upcoming podcast with Michelle Obama, her Escape Room album rollout is going to continue with the project scheduled to arrive on Aug. 22.

“I’ve been quietly dealing with some vocal challenges for a while now. And after a lot of back and forth with my doctors, I’ve been told I need vocal surgery immediately,” she wrote. “They found a noncancerous growth on one of my cords that’s been messing with my voice and causing real discomfort. Thankfully, we caught it & it’s treatable—but it does mean I need to pause and give myself time to fully heal.”

The 34-year-old continued: “That honestly breaks my heart. I don’t take lightly what it means to show up for y’all. I’ve poured so much of myself into this next chapter—especially the Escape Room, which is still dropping August 22! So no worries there. It’s the most personal body of work I’ve ever created. and the timing… it’s not lost on me. Just as I was getting ready to finally share this with you, life handed me my own unexpected ‘escape room’—one I didn’t ask for, but one I now have to find my way out of with patience, rest, and faith.”

Even amid the health battle, Taylor says she put her “whole heart into this music, this film, this rollout. And when I return, it’ll be with even more fire, more purpose, and the best version of me. Thank you for rocking with me through it all.”

Escape Room is set to boast 22 tracks, including her previously released “Bed of Roses” and “Long Time” singles and skits from Issa Rae and Lala Anthony.

The project serves as Spike Tee’s first LP since 2020’s The Album, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

2025 is shaping up to be another busy campaign for the Harlem native, who is starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, due out later this year.