Tim & Faith on stage at the VenetianSuperstar couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill met the press in Las Vegas this morning, announcing the details of their long-rumored Las Vegas residency. Core message: If you liked their joint Soul2Soul tours (the last of which ended in 2007), you're going to love it in a room that's about one-tenth the size, and without all that extraneous solo stuff.

Over the course of a half-hour press conference, exact details about the content of the show were nebulous, partly because the run doesn't start till December and is still in the planning stages. But when I finally asked whether each of them would be disappearing from the stage for a good portion of the show while the other sings his or her individual hits, McGraw couldn't have been clearer: "I would say that the chances of us not being on stage together for any length of time, maybe other than a song or two, are small," he emphasized.

We're still not getting a duets album any time soon, but a full-on duets show may be the next best thing...

Shelton's new Christmas recordOkay, so, it's still blazing hot summertime--and chances are you're still putting your swimwear and sunscreen to good use. But Blake Shelton wants to remind you that it's never too early to think about Christmas!

The singer and Voice mentor just announced this week that his first holiday album will be released October 2. It's titled Cheers It's Christmas, and it includes some special "gifts" for fans that will doubtlessly be more surprising than yet another sweater or tie.

Most notably, Shelton introduces a very special duet partner on the new collection. Nope, it's not wife Miranda Lambert--it's the other woman in his life. Namely, his mom!

Shelton and his mother, Dorothy Shackleford, co-wrote and performed a track together for the album titled "Time For Me To Come Home." As the title suggests, it captures the feelings of a mom missing her son who's out on the road for long stretches of time--and for that matter, it sounds as if the theme could apply to any parent who looks forward to

Kenny and Tim {Photo: Tim Boyles}Just a few weeks ago, industry publication Pollstar released numbers that showed Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw's Brothers Of The Sun tour was pulling way ahead of all the other 2012 megatours this summer--including such huge acts as Roger Waters and Coldplay.

Now, it's been revealed just how successful the tour really is: It's sold a cool one million tickets to date!

Chesney is quick to give credit where credit is due for the hottest trek of the year: "I'm so grateful to all of the fans that have made this tour such an amazing success and a nonstop party night after night," he noted. "Being out on the road with Tim has been incredible and we still have a lot of songs left to sing this summer."

Selling a mil on tour is no new ground for Chesney, who has hit that milestone an amazing nine consecutive tours in a row (the previous one being last year's Goin' Coastal tour). He's also doing just fine with his current release, Welcome To The Fishbowl--his latest single off the project, "Come

Music fans in Music City had a more-than-attractive alternative to watching the Olympics Monday night, as Billboard and Pepsi presented the Nashville leg of its Summer Beats concert series at the Cannery Ballroom that evening. The free show featured a smokin' lineup of some of the town's most cutting-edge talent: Gloriana, Jana Kramer, Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser.

But that's not all. Fans who weren't lucky enough to catch a plane to Nashville were still able to join in--and influence!--the fun. Gloriana's set was streamed live (check out highlights here) on Pepsi's specially enhanced Twitter page, and those watching provided input on the set in real time, as well as what song they'd like to have as an encore performance.

Houser and Niemann {Photo: Royce DeGrie}The artists involved in the Nashville show uniformly expressed excitement at being part of the experience, as well as talked about the various ways social media in general has enhanced their careers and fan relationships.

Randy Houser called social

Danica charms a tattooed bad boy with her feminine wiles, midriffMove over, Lady Gaga and Beyonce's "Telephone." Country bad girl Miranda Lambert has just shot her own Thelma & Louise-style road-tripping music video, "Fastest Girl In Town"--and with the ultimate fast girl, very sexily attired race-car driver Danica Patrick, behind the steering wheel, it's definitely one wild ride.

Calling all American Idol fans: It's reunion time! At least in the brand-new video from AI vet Bucky Covington, which features none other than his Season 5 buddy and fellow country musician, Kellie Pickler...who burns up the screen with one of country's sexiest cameos ever.

Covington's clip, "Drinking Side Of Country," takes a humorous spin on the '80s classic TV show The Dukes of Hazzard--featuring cars, guns, moonshine, and a kill-joy sheriff. Pickler takes on the role of Daisy Duke, and Covington claims she's the best one to portray the iconic character yet.

Taylor Swift {Photo: Jason Merritt}Another day for Taylor Swift, another rumor about whom she might be dating...and this week, the pop/country superstar is fielding off reports that she's getting cozy with Patrick Schwarzenegger.

"Patrick's a friend!" Swift told Access Hollywood of her 18-year-old alleged pal--son of former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kennedy scion Maria Shriver. "That's why I don't read any gossip about me, because I don't want to be weirded out by who people think I'm dating."

Swift commented on the rumor while backstage at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards, where she won in five categories and was escorted by the sedatest of dates--her younger brother, Austin.

Courtesy James Micari for MaximKellie Pickler is a staunch supporter of our nation's troops--she just completed her fifth USO tour overseas this May--and now she's found yet another way to lift soldiers' spirits! The blond cutie chose to honor our armed forces with a sexy and revealing photo shoot for Maxim's new "Salute To The Military" issue.

Pickler sizzles in an army-green bra and high-waisted shorts for the cover of the issue and most of her pictorial, but also flashes her assets in Naval-inspired stripes...just so the sailors don't feel left out!