September 24 was a lot. Between DWTS dropping its Yacht Rock lineup and Brooke Hogan blowing up her family’s already messy history for the world to see, celebrity news basically handed us a soap opera and a nostalgia trip in the same 24 hours. Let’s get into it.

DWTS Goes Full Yacht Rock (And Somehow It Works)

So ABC just dropped the song list for Yacht Rock Night on Dancing With the Stars season 35, and honestly? I’m here for it. We’re talking Toto, Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, the Doobie Brothers – basically the soundtrack to every dad’s road trip playlist from 1979. The episode airs September 29, and if the producers are smart (they usually are), this is going to be a costume disaster in the best way. Think captain hats. Think way too much white linen.

The timing here isn’t random, either. This reveal comes right after Viral Songs Night sent Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten packing, which – not gonna lie – stung a little. Giada seemed like she was having fun out there, and the internet was kind of rooting for her underdog energy. But that’s the show, right? One week you’re doing a viral TikTok routine, the next you’re gone and everyone’s talking about Michael McDonald instead.

Why Yacht Rock Night Actually Makes Sense

Here’s the thing about theme nights on DWTS – they either feel forced (looking at you, some of the past “decades” nights) or they land perfectly. Yacht rock has this weirdly specific energy that’s smooth, a little cheesy, and impossible not to move to. I mean, try sitting still during “Rosanna.” You can’t. It’s basically a scientific impossibility at this point.

Brooke Hogan Just Dropped a Bombshell. A Real One.

Okay, this is the story that’s going to be everywhere for the next week. Brooke Hogan told Us, exclusively, that her late father Hulk Hogan sleeping with her friend Christiane Plante was, in her words, “a major turning point” that permanently changed their relationship. Permanently. That’s not a word people throw around lightly when talking about a parent.

“a major turning point”

And look, we already knew the Hogan family had issues. That’s not exactly breaking news at this point. But hearing Brooke frame it this specifically, this bluntly, is different. This wasn’t just family drama simmering in the background. This was something that broke trust in a way she clearly never got past. And now she’s channeling all of it into music, which, if I’m being honest, feels like the most on-brand way for this story to unfold.

The Song Says It All

Her new single “Goes Around” drops September 25, and from what we know, it’s written directly about her family dysfunction. Not vaguely inspired by it. Directly about it. That takes guts, or maybe just years of pent-up frustration finally finding an outlet. Probably both, honestly.

What’s interesting here is the timing. Releasing this so soon after going public with the details about her dad and Christiane Plante feels deliberate. Like she’s not just processing grief privately anymore, she’s putting it out there for everyone to hear, on her terms. Some people will call that oversharing. I call it someone finally getting to control her own narrative after years of her dad being the loudest voice in every room, literally and figuratively.

Country’s Latest Pairing Has People Talking

Meanwhile, over in country music, Tucker Wetmore and Ella Langley are apparently a thing worth watching. Details are still pretty thin on this one (it’s not entirely clear yet what exactly is going on between them), but when two rising country artists start popping up together, people notice. That’s just how it works in that world. Everyone’s already speculating, and honestly, we probably will too once there’s more to actually go on.

What This Actually Means

Here’s my honest take: DWTS knows exactly what it’s doing with these theme nights, and Yacht Rock is going to be a ratings win because nostalgia always is. People love watching celebrities awkwardly cha-cha to Steve Winwood. It’s comfort TV.

But the Brooke Hogan story is the one that’s going to stick around longer. Celebrity feuds come and go, but this is a daughter publicly processing real betrayal, set to music, right after losing her father. That’s not gossip fodder, that’s actual grief with a soundtrack. And whether “Goes Around” ends up being a hit or not, it’s clear Brooke’s using this moment to say something she probably couldn’t say out loud for years.

Two very different stories, same news cycle. One’s fun escapism, the other’s raw and a little uncomfortable to watch unfold. That’s celebrity news for you though – it’s never just one thing.