Taylor Swift has always been an exemplary artist in terms of communicating with her audience, and her latest outreach proves this point even further.

Knowing that the follow-up to Fearless--the top-selling album of 2009--is a topic of great interest, she's decided to host a live web chat next week to discuss her upcoming new album with anyone who's interested.

"I've gotten so many questions from fans--on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, my website, everywhere really," the singer explained, adding, "It's so incredible to see how excited everybody is about what's next."

Swift is adamant that her fans be the first to know everything about her new material. "I can't wait to talk to everybody as directly as I can," she enthused.

Swift will host the chat on Tuesday, July 20 starting at 5 p.m. EDT. The discussion can be accessed and questions may be submitted at any of the following sites: Taylorswift.com, MySpace.com/TaylorSwift, Facebook.com/TaylorSwift, or Ustream.tv/taylorswift.

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Okay, I know that it seems as if all I've been talking about these days is Carrie Underwood and her spectacular Georgia wedding to Mike Fisher. Just one more blog entry about it, I promise!

As those of you who are loyal readers undoubtedly know, I've been most excited about seeing what Mrs. Fisher chose to wear for her big day. We were told the dress was designed by celeb-bride favorite Monique Lhuillier (who's dressed Ashlee Simpson, Jewel, Britney Spears, and Pink for their weddings, among many others), but no pics were released. Leaving me very frustrated, indeed!

Until now! PEOPLE magazine will have an exclusive spread of the wedding in this week's issue (on newsstands Friday), but is offering a peek at the cover, featuring Carrie in full bridal regalia, right now.

Carrie told PEOPLE she changed from her "huge" wedding gown into a less cumbersome strapless cocktail dress (also designed by Lhuillier) in order to party down at the reception. "I wanted to get my boogie on, so I had

Well, folks, unless there's a major plot-foiler underway, it looks like Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher will indeed be tying the knot tomorrow, July 10. Everyone across the 'Net--from Perez Hilton to American Idol fansites to local news affiliates--is commenting on the details (whether true or not) that have been leaked to date.

Making sense of everything that's being reported is a bit harder than simply delighting in all the fizzy, bubbly gossip out there, but I'll try to break it down for y'all.

Various reports are stating that the wedding will be held in Georgia--at the Reynolds Plantation Ritz-Carlton, located in Greensboro, to be exact. Underwood and Fisher reportedly have booked the entire hotel for the event, blocking out all 251 guest rooms. They will be spending their wedding night at the hotel's Presidential Lodge, which the Ritz site describes as a place "Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have called...their home away from home."

If this is indeed the place, it

It's not a huge surprise that folks are divided in opinion over LeAnn Rimes's personal life. The singer's controversial affair with actor Eddie Cibrian has consistently made headlines for the past year; however, to her credit, she's gamely kept her head up and maintained a positive attitude to the press and fans.

That said, she herself appears to have hit her limit in terms of outsiders examining her business. After weathering a storm of criticism regarding recently circulated photos of her and Cibrian, the singer has announced she's going to take a break from Twitter.

"It's unhealthy for me and my family to have to read negative comments from people who's opinions have no bearing on my life," she tweeted in explanation.

The pictures in question, which can be seen here and here, and were caught over the 4th of July holiday at a California resort, have caused a flutter of gossip about Rimes's appropriateness. One shot is particularly jarring, showing a bikini-clad Rimes on top of

If you were out having a good time on Independence Day Eve, you may have missed Dolly Parton's tribute to the 25th anniversary of her Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park, Dollywood--a blowout concert featuring appearances from numerous country luminaries, which aired on the Hallmark Channel Saturday night.

And, hey, that's okay if you missed the show. The holiday weekend is for partying, not staying home and watching TV, right? However, here's a highlight of the special that I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss: Parton taking the stage with her godchild, Miley Cyrus, to perform a duet of her classic "Jolene."

Now, this enduring little tune about girl vs. (much hotter) girl in competition for the same man is one that's had quite a set of legs, so to speak. It's been covered and re-interpreted by a range of artists, from Olivia Newton-John to the White Stripes to the Sisters Of Mercy. Just about every musical genre has taken a crack at it.

But somehow, this performance with Cyrus has a

If her Twitter account serves as any indication, LeAnn Rimes seems to be blissfully happy in her new relationship with Eddie Cibrian. Despite fielding considerable criticism--both Rimes and Cibrian were married at the time they got together last year, and are still waiting for their respective divorces to finalize--her updates are chirpy and cheerful, referring to Cibrian as "my love" and detailing fun-filled activities with the actor's two young sons.

However, she unveiled a darker side of her emotions this week. In an interview with People, Rimes does penance of sorts, admitting that her affair with Cibrian was "selfish" and "emotionally driven." 

"I never once thought what I was doing was okay," she said of her infidelity, which led to the demise of her 7-year marriage to Dean Sheremet. "I did one of the most selfish things that I possibly could do, in hurting someone else."

Sheremet was not the only party damaged. Cibrian's soon-to-be ex-wife Brandi Glanville, who is also the

Carrie Underwood, who's fresh off Wednesday night's successful run at the CMT Awards (she scored two wins, one of them top video of the year), has her mind back on practical matters. Read: Her upcoming wedding to Canadian hockey star Mike Fisher.

Or, perhaps she doesn't quite have her mind on it. "My [wedding] planner's on top of it," she told People this week. "He's doing stuff while I'm out on the road."

As far as I can tell, Underwood's planner has scored the best client on earth. The singer, who is currently busy on tour, is decidedly not your average Bridezilla.

In fact, she seems to have a remarkably laid-back attitude about the entire event, even while admitting to People that few details have been determined and "there's a lot to do."

Still, she doesn't seem a bit worried or pressed for time.

On the day of the wedding? "We'll just show up," she says. "It's mainly about family and friends and the two of us."

The couple has also decided not to open a wedding registry,

Well, well, well--here's a new one for the "unusual pairing" books. However, to many of us, I'm sure this won't come as a big surprise.

Guess which unlikely characters are now on the record as being close pals? Country icon Willie Nelson and hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg.

In fact, according to U.K.-based outlet Sky News, the two may even share the stage at Britain's famed Glastonbury musical festival this weekend (both were booked, and have already performed, separately).

"We're real good friends and have been for a lot of years," Nelson, 77, said of the 38-year-old rapper. "His kids would come down to my place and we'd do videos together and hang out."

As I noted above--this alliance is probably not a big shock to those who are aware of both entertainers' infamous penchants for a certain illegal substance.

Nelson and Snoop are major supporters of marijuana--both in terms of legalization (in fact, Nelson appeared on CNN's Larry King Live in April to discuss his support in this very