Author: Ms Bich

‘The Voice’ Star Niall Horan Calls Out Gwen Stefani as a “Liar” in the Battle Rounds

Looks like the One Direction tried new tactics to give a contestant on his team.

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The Voice season 24 is heating up, and it looks like Gwen Stefani just got the upper hand after winning the heart of one contestant who Niall Horan also wanted for his team.

The hit NBC series is in the middle of the beloved Battle Rounds, and this week’s episode saw CORii and Ms. Monét face off on Reba McEntire’s team. As the two competed for a coveted spot by singing “New Attitude” by Patti LaBelle, the country singer voiced how hard it was for her to make the choice on who to keep and who should be let go. When Reba declared Ms. Monét the winner, CORii’s performance immediately caught the attention of both Gwen and Niall and each hit the “Steal” button for her to join their teams.

“She did take a little bit longer, I’d like to say that,” Niall joked much to the laughter of Gwen and the studio audience. “I’m not scared of [Gwen] … I am.”

https://youtu.be/uWR-ht24mRA

When it was time for Gwen to speak, she had nothing but kind words for how CORii impressed her.

“It was a really, really good battle,” she began. “What I think I could help you with is just like a tweak to show you that you got so much charisma. It’s just how do you tame it just a little bit so that you can be that much cooler and that much more you. I want to work with that, so I would love to have you on Team Gwen.”

Ever fearful of losing CORii to Gwen as a competitor, Niall couldn’t help but hilariously call the No Doubt singer out as a last minute chance to grab another member for his group. “Don’t listen,” he begged while pointing at Gwen. “Liar.”

Although Niall and Gwen had their own competition to see who CORii would choose as her new coach, folks couldn’t help but agree with their comments about how good she was during the battle.

“Corii amazed me tonight!! What an amazing battle,” one person wrote on Instagram. “SING 👏👏 My favorite battle so far ❤️,” another added. “I’m glad someone stole [CORii] they were both great,” a different viewer agreed.

So, did Niall’s war tactics work? Sadly for him, CORii eventually chose to become a member of Team Gwen. Guess we’ll just have to tune in another week to see what happens next!

 

 

Will Smith Wears Reba McEntire T-Shirt as He Films Bad Boys 4 with Martin Lawrence in Miami

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s fourth ‘Bad Boys’ movie is expected to release in theaters June 7

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on the set of Bad Boys 4 on Feb. 24, 2024. Photo:
Backgrid/MEGA
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are busy filming Bad Boys 4 in Miami!

The duo were seen on the movie’s set on the water in Miami on Saturday, one day after photographers captured Smith, 55, filming what appears to be a wedding sequence for the upcoming Bad Boys sequel.

Smith could be seen wearing a black t-shirt with Reba McEntire’s face on it, a plaid shirt over it with sleeves cut off and tan pants on the film’s set, while Lawrence, 58, wore a hoodie that reads “Purebread White Boy” on its chest. Smith also appeared to sport a small wound on the right side of his forehead as makeup for his Bad Boys character Mike Lowrey.

Smith and Lawrence star in the Bad Boys franchise as Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, two Miami detectives who continually investigate drug trafficking and other crimes throughout the series’ first three movies. The original Bad Boys premiered in 1995; Bad Boys II followed in 2003, and Bad Boys for Life released in 2020.

The pair originally confirmed they were making Bad Boys 4 in January 2023 and were seen filming the movie in Atlanta as far back as April of last year. Most recently, Smith was captured kissing costar Melanie Liburd while acting out a wedding last Friday.

All About Will Smith’s Parents, Caroline Bright and Willard Carroll Smith Sr.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on Feb. 24, 2024.
Backgrid/MEGA
Bad Boys 4, which does not yet hold an official title, will also star Eric Dane, Alexander Ludwig and Vanessa Hudgens; Ludwig and Hudgens previously appeared as police officers in Bad Boys for Life. The new film is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who took over the series with its 2020 entry; Michael Bay directed the series’ first two movies.

The new movie’s production was delayed several months by 2023’s SAG-AFTRA strike, which ran from July to November 2023.

New Anaconda Species Identified During Filming of Will Smith Show Could Be ‘Largest in Existence’

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in 2020’s Bad Boys for Life.
Columbia Pictures
Though filming resumed following the strike’s end, Smith and Lawrence have spent time together off set, too. The duo recently got together to watch their friend Kevin Hart perform at Hart’s recent comedy show. Smith shared photos of the trio together on Instagram, and Hart — who is not in the Bad Boys movies — referenced the films in his own Instagram post.

“My brothers for life…. Love these 🐐’s ….We ride together ….we die together…. Bad Boys For Life,” Hart wrote in his caption.

Bad Boys 4 is expected in theaters June 7.

Reba McEntire Is ‘Cheered On’ by Love Rex Linn at Grand Opening of Reba’s Place Restaurant

The couple had a glam night out at the singer’s Atoka, Oklahoma restaurant opening, but as McEntire told us before the big day: “As long as we’re together, it really doesn’t matter” where they are

Photo: Courtesy Reba’s Place

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn love a good date night — but doing it at a restaurant named for the country superstar might be a tough one to beat.

The couple (and costars on Big Sky) got glam for the grand opening of Reba’s Place, McEntire’s 15,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and live entertainment venue in Atoka, a small town in her native Oklahoma. Customers on both the first and second floor of the restaurant, built in a former Masonic temple, were able to get a great view of the star as she hit the stage to play some of her hits, including “Fancy” and “Does He Love You” (with a cameo from Chef Kurtess Mortensen) — and fans could watch all the action on a live stream.

She was joined by friends and family, including Linn, who was in attendance and cheered her on, according to an attendee.

Reba McEntire Opens Reba’s Place Restaurant, Promises Fun and ‘Great Bread’ (Plus a Sweet Tribute to Her Late Mom)

Ahead of the grand opening, McEntire spoke to PEOPLE about her own experience in the kitchen, that while she herself isn’t much of a chef (“I go to restaurants,” she says), Linn “loves to cook,” so the two often decompress by making meals together.

“He sits there and really looks at all menus and puts things together. While he’s doing the meats, whether he’s charcoaling, grilling, or doing his three days of preparation of smoked chicken tacos and all that kind of stuff that he makes, I’m a throw-it-together type person,” she says. “I’ll do that, and he’ll say, ‘Well, caramelized onions will go good with that.’ So he does the onions while I do the garlic and the boiled potatoes. Then I smash them a little bit, and then I fry them with the other stuff. We just have fun in the kitchen.”

 

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn. ABC/Getty
Reba McEntire and Rex Linn’s Relationship Timeline

The couple, who have been “pretty much inseparable” since they began dating in 2020, are appreciating that downtime at home even more now, after spending months on location in New Mexico filming Big Sky (just one of McEntire’s many recent projects, which include The Hammer, the restaurant, upcoming tour dates and a book in the works).

“When we got home after Big Sky, the next night, I performed in Indianapolis on my last show of the tour for 2022. I came home, and I didn’t leave the house for a week,” she says. “Rex went to the grocery store and everything. I was so fried … that I just stayed home. I cleaned out closets and drawers. It was just reacquainting myself with my house and getting in the kitchen and saying, ‘Where’s the silverware drawer?’ Because you forget, being gone for five months. It was just a really fun time to be home.”

Rex Linn and Reba McEntire. Rex Linn Instagram

And though the two enjoyed a fun date night out Thursday, complete with all the “Fancy” cocktails and “good bread” McEntire promised you can find at Reba’s Place, the star says they’re just as happy to have a low-key night in.

“When we’re tired, I mean, we’re good with just a sandwich,” she tells PEOPLE. “It really doesn’t matter. As long as we’re together, it really doesn’t matter.

 

Reba McEntire Says Boyfriend Rex Linn Is a ‘Great Guy to Be in Love With’

“In 2020, right before the pandemic, we had dinner together and have been together ever since,” McEntire said while filling in on Today with Hoda and Jenna

Reba McEntire has lots of love for her “sugar tot.”

While filling in for Hoda Kotb on Today with Hoda & Jenna on Monday, the Grammy-award-winning country star, 68, discussed her relationship with her boyfriend of three years, actor Rex Linn — whom she shares a cute nickname with.

“He is ‘Sugar Tot.’ I’m ‘Tater Tot,’” McEntire told co-host Jenna Bush-Hager on the show. “We’re ‘the Tots.’”

Tater tots were even brought out for the hosts to eat as they spoke to Linn, 66, who joked from a corner of the stage that he “already had tater tots this morning.”

Reba McEntire and Boyfriend Rex Linn Reveal They Had the ‘Best Valentine’s Dinner Ever’ at Sonic

ABC via Getty

McEntire went on to explain that the pair’s history dates back to 1991, when they starred together in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw.

“I was one of the actors. He was one of the actors, and he gets a big kick out of it — he says his part was riding into a saloon on a four-year-old Colt and going, ‘Yeehaw!’” McEntire said.

“We stayed in communication all those years, and then in 2020, right before the pandemic, we had dinner together and have been together ever since,” she continued. “I couldn’t get close enough to him.”

Reba McEntire Says She and Boyfriend Rex Linn First Bonded Over Tater Tots: ‘We’ve Been Together Ever Since’

Bush-Hager noted elsewhere on the show that it was “so much fun” to see McEntire “so in love,” to which she responded, “I’m telling you, he’s a great guy to be in love with.”

McEntire, who is set to appear on The Voice’s Season 23 as mega mentor, recalled the origin of her relationship with Linn on The Jennifer Hudson Show last month.

“I was doing Young Sheldon, the TV show, Rex was doing Young Sheldon — so was Melissa Peterman, who played Barbara Jean on the Reba show,” said the “Fancy” icon. “Rex texted me and said, ‘You gonna be in town?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Well, let’s go to dinner.’”

She said the plans didn’t come to fruition for a couple of weeks, but they eventually went out for a meal together. “We all went to dinner, had a good time, went down the street to a wine bar, and they said, ‘Well, I understand you’ve already had dinner, but we do have some good appetizers,’” said McEntire.

“I said, ‘What do you have?’ They said, ‘Well, we have tater tots.’ I went, [raises hand], and so Rex said, ‘That’s your nickname from here on out — Tater Tot,’” she told host Jennifer Hudson.

McEntire said on her podcast Living and Learning with Reba McEntire that she got the nickname “sugar tot” from her sister, who jokingly told her to “Tell ‘Sugar Tot’ hi for us,” while she was on the phone with Linn.

Describing her relationship with Linn in October 2020, she said: “It’s good to have a person to talk to, laugh with, get into subjects about what’s going on. Discussions about our past, our family, funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress. And he’s very into my music. I’m very into his career.”

“It’s just great getting to talk to somebody who I find very interesting, very funny, very smart and is interested in me, too,” she added.

Kelly Clarkson Reveals Why She Once Hid a ‘Creepy’ Doll in Reba McEntire’s Closet: ‘I Couldn’t Sleep!’

Clarkson released her latest single titled “I Hate Love” from her forthcoming album on Friday

Kelly Clarkson is not a fan of creepy dolls.

During an interview with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel cast on her talk show Friday, the “Breakaway” singer opened up a conversation with Michael Zegan (Joe Maisel) about a prop doll on the show — and recalled an encounter with a creepy doll of her own.

Clarkson, 41, recalled the time she stayed the night at former stepmother-in-law Reba McEntire’s house. At the time, the country star had a doll that was “so creepy” to Clarkson.

“Two days later, she’s like ‘So, I found the doll in the closet?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God! I’m sorry, I didn’t put it back,’” Clarkson said. “It scared me and I couldn’t sleep! I’m not just gonna sleep with that thing looking at me!”

She then recounted the conversation she had with McEntire, 68, about it.

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson. Adam Christopher/NBCUniversal via Getty

Kelly Clarkson Drops New Single ‘I Hate Love’ — Featuring Steve Martin on Banjo!

“[Reba] was like, ‘Did you put my stuff in the closet?’” the “Piece by Piece” singer recounted. “I kinda did. I did, I’m so sorry! I should have brought it back out.”

Meanwhile, Zegan said that he left the “creepy doll” behind from the show: “It was a very creepy, sticky doll.”

The season finale for season five of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel aired on May 26.

On Friday, Clarkson also released her latest single from her upcoming album Chemistry, titled “I Hate Love.” In the song, Clarkson teamed up with actor Steve Martin as he plays the banjos.

Speaking to Billboard, big-time fan Clarkson shared that the idea for the collaboration came about after seeing Martin’s banjo-playing skills in livestream videos during the early days of the pandemic.

“I was like, ‘I know that sounds crazy,’” Clarkson recalled. “[My producer] Jesse Shatkin was like, ‘I think it sounds rad.’”

Before she knew it, Martin agreed to work with Clarkson.

“I generally don’t ask because I get very nervous about bothering people,” Clarkson said. “But literally, within hours, [Jesse] got an answer: ‘Oh my God, he’d love to, when are you recording it?’”

Trae Patton/NBC via Getty

Why Kelly Clarkson Is Moving Her Talk Show to N.Y.C.: ‘Me and My Kids Needed a Fresh Start’

As for “I Hate Love,” the song features Clarkson expressing her frustrations around love after a breakup.

“Beat my head against the wall / Little by little, you took it all / Love’s no friend of minе,” she sings in the song’s chorus. “Countin’ your blessings on my back / Livin’ your best life, livin’ fast / Lovе, you’re out of time.”

Clarkson’s single drop came with a video of her performing the song in her one-night-only performance of Chemistry in April at Los Angeles’ Belasco Theatre.

The forthcoming album, which is out on June 23, includes 14 tracks from Clarkson inspired by her 2020 divorce from Brandon Blackstock, with whom she shares two children.

‘Voice’ Fans Are Left Furious with Niall Horan After His “Sad” Move

He’s just taking a little break to go on tour, but left all of us in good hands.

Voice fans are usually talking about singer Niall Horan on social media because of his hilarious banter with the other three judges John Legend, Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire, as well as his cheeky personality, but this week, the discussion isn’t as positive as in the past.

Fans became confused and upset when the official Instagram account for NBC’s The Voice shared a clip of Niall telling his remaining team of nine that he would be stepping away from filming of Season 24 for a while because of his hectic touring schedule. “I’ve got a bit of news for you. Because of my concert schedule, I actually won’t be in town for knockout rehearsals,” Niall tells his team over video chat in the clip. “Because I won’t be there, I’ve chosen another coach to mentor you guys during your rehearsals. And it’s not just one coach. It’s two.”

The 30-year-old went on to announce that pop duo Dan + Shay would be stepping in for him since he couldn’t be there. Although the twosome is hardly underqualified, social media had a lot of mixed reactions to the surprising news.

“What? Niall, why did you agree to do this season if you weren’t able to be here for all of it? Love you, but maybe it would have been better to have let someone else do it this time?”, one upset fan commented.”Saddest yet most exciting news I’ve ever heard?!?!? 🫶🫶🫶”, someone else wrote. “So Niall will not [be] on The Voice anymore?”, another disappointed fan said. A different person enthusiastically chimed in, “@danandshay are the absolute best! Let’s go! 🔥❤️.” Someone else, who was very upst, said, “Will @niallhoran be back for winning Night ? If not please advise cuz he’s the reason I’ve come back to the Voice ! Last minute bad news is not appreciated ! … Unprofessional to say the least !

With all the confusion, we’re here to tell Niall fans not to worry just yet! Although Niall will not be in most of the rehearsals for Knockouts, Dan + Shay are currently only considered “temporary” replacements for the time being since the One Direction alum will be back for the rest of Season 24. According to Soaps.com, he confirmed on his Instagram story on November 7 that he “only missed the knockout rehearsals, but returned to film the rest of knockout rounds themselves and the rest of The Voice Season 24 after his festival run.”

That said, Niall has confirmed that Season 24 will be his last due to his busy schedule, and Season 25 is when Dan + Shay will officially take over for the “Nice to Meet Ya” singer. They will be the first “duo coach pair.”

 

 

In 2010, Reba McEntire released her 28th album, All the Women I Am, which went to No. 3 on the Country chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The opening track and first single “Turn On the Radio” went to No. 1 but it was the song that followed, a cover of Beyoncé‘s “If I Were a Boy,” that McEntire regretted recording.

McEntire performed the song during an Unplugged on CMT in 2010. Shortly after, her label asked her to record the Beyoncé song.
Videos by American Songwriter

‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’

Written by BC Jean (Brittany Jean Carlson) and Tony Gad for Beyoncé’s 2010 album I Am… Sasha Fierce, the song went to No. 3 on the Hot 100. The song was the only track on I Am… Sasha Fierce that wasn’t co-written by Beyoncé.

The song came to Jean after she refrained from eating pizza with Gad because she was watching her weight. The moment made her think that if she were a boy it wouldn’t matter what she ate. From there, came a flood of other thoughts, which Gad recorded on a pocket recorder. The two wrote the song in 15 minutes and recorded a demo of it that same day.

“It’s broad,” said Beyoncé of her hit. “But I had to try it because I remember Aretha Franklin said a great singer can sing anything and make it her own.”

Reba’s Version

When released by McEntire, her version of “If I Were a Boy” peaked at No. 22 on the Country chart but it was never a song of her choosing. “The record label really wanted me to record it and put it out as a single,” said McEntire in 2019. “I didn’t feel real good about it. It wasn’t that successful. The people in the music industry, they’re professionals, and sometimes you have to go with the team. It just didn’t work out.”

In 2021, country singer and songwriter Mickey Guyton also released a cover of “If I Were a Boy” as an Amazon Music exclusive. Guyton later released her version of the song on her debut album Remember Her Name.

“It was important for me to record ‘If I Were a Boy’ because I have been fighting in country music for so long to just be accepted for who I am,” said Guyton of her cover. “This song means so much more to me, and has a completely different meaning, than when I first heard it.”

Though she decided to go forward and record Beyoncé’s hit, McEntire admitted that there have been plenty of other songs that she’s passed on over the years. “It has to have a message,” said McEntire. “If a song has touched my heart, hopefully, it’ll touch your heart when I sing it. I’m the conduit. I’m the one that delivers the message.”

McEntire added, “It might solve a problem for them, it might entertain them, it might get them away from what they’re going through. That’s my job on earth. I feel very strongly about that.”

Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

Dolly Parton reacts to Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene’ cover on ‘Cowboy Carter’

Beyoncé puts a twist on Parton’s iconic song.

Dolly Parton is giving Beyoncé’s “Jolene” cover her seal of approval.

The country music legend took to Instagram on Friday, the day Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album dropped, to weigh in on the singer’s cover of her iconic 1973 song.

“Wow, I just heard Jolene,” she shared in a statement. “Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it! Love, Dolly P.”

Dolly Parton at The Star in Frisco on May 9, 2023 in Frisco, Texas. | Beyoncé is seen in a press photo for her new album “Cowboy Carter.”
Getty Images |Blair Caldwell/Parkwood Entertainment

Parton — who previously praised Beyoncé when her “Cowboy Carter” track “Texas Hold ‘Em” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — signed the statement as “Dolly P,” a playful reference to the interlude on “Cowboy Carter” of the same name in which Parton introduces Beyoncé’s “Jolene” cover.

“Hey, Miss Honeybee, it’s Dolly P. You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about?” Parton says in the interlude, referencing Beyoncé’s song “Sorry” off her 2016 album “Lemonade,” in which she sings, “He only want me when I’m not there/ He better call Becky with the good hair.”

“Reminded me of someone I knew back when,” Parton continues. “Except she has flaming locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.”

There are a lot of similarities between the two versions, but Beyoncé adds her own flare to her cover — and it’s evident from the very beginning.

Parton’s version begins, “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/ I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man/ Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/ Please don’t take him just because you can.”

Beyoncé’s version, meanwhile, begins, “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/ I’m warning you, don’t come for my man/ Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/ Don’t take the chance because you think you can.”

The tone is different as well. While Parton’s version is pleading with Jolene not to take her man, Beyoncé’s version reminds Jolene “you don’t want no heat with me.”

The rest of Beyoncé’s “Jolene” cover continues this trend, taking Parton’s iconic tune and fully reinventing and modernizing the song to fit her own story through to the very end.

Ahead of the release of her highly anticipated album, Beyoncé shared a post on Instagram that revealed the tracklist for “Cowboy Carter.” Among the names and titles listed in the artwork was “Dolly P” and “Jolene.”

Parton even teased her involvement on “Cowboy Carter,” sharing an Instagram post in which she said, “Just call me Dolly P.”

The new album also includes collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Beyoncé’s daughter, Rumi Carter. She even covers The Beatles’ “Blackbird” — titled “Blackbiird” — with four Black female country artists, including Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy. Willie Nelson is also featured on two interludes and Linda Martell appears on “Spaghettii.”

This cover image released by Parkwood/Columbia/Sony shows “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé.
AP

“Cowboy Carter” is what Beyoncé described last week in an Instagram post as “act ii” and “a continuation of RENAISSANCE,” her album released in July 2022.

The album has been over five years in the making and she said it was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.”

The singer said that the experience fueled her to learn about the history of country music.

“It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history,” she said.

“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she added. “act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and CeeLo Green kicked the show off with an epic collab.

When The Voice burst onto the scene in 2011, OG Coaches Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, and CeeLo Green joined forces for a rendition of Green’s hit ”Crazy” (when he was in the duo known as Gnarls Barkley).

During their cover, Levine handled the introduction lyrics while the other Coaches hummed backup vocals. The crowd then went wild when Shelton started singing and Levine kicked in with the drums. Naturally, X-Tina riffed away while Shelton played his guitar with confidence.

Listen to the captivating cover here.

What to know about ”Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
Released in 2006 by Cee Lo Green and producer Danger Mouse as Gnarls Barkley, ”Crazy” reached the number-two position on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 chart. The song was critically acclaimed, winning a Grammy Award in 2007.

In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it 307 on its ”500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Ten years earlier, the outlet named it as the best song of the 2000s, describing the tune as ”the most glorious pop thrill of our time.”

”Crazy” has also been covered by Prince, Nelly Furtado, Violent Femmes, Ray LaMontagne, Paris Hilton, Cat Power, The Raconteurs, Billy Idol, One Republic, The Neighbourhood, Kacey Musgraves, and more.

CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton appear pose for a photo during the Season 5 finale of The Voice Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

”Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley lyrics
I remember when
I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions have an echo in so much space

And when you’re out there without care
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn’t because I didn’t know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that’s my only advice
Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you
Who do you think you are
Ha ha ha, bless your soul
You really think you’re in control

I think you’re crazy
I think you’re crazy
I think you’re crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb
And all I remember is thinking I want to be like them

Ever since I was little
Ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it’s no coincidence I’ve come
And I can die when I’m done

But maybe I’m crazy
Maybe you’re crazy
Maybe we’re crazy
Probably

After first meeting on the set of the 1991 film The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, Reba McEntire and Rex Linn reconnected in 2020. Now, the singer is opening up about their love story.

Reba McEntire has found her special somebody in boyfriend Rex Linn.

While giving a rare glimpse inside their romance, the country music superstar reflected on reconnecting with the actor—whom she first met more than 30 years ago on the set of the 1991 movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw—in 2020 after they both appeared on Young Sheldon.

“Rex texted me and said, ‘You’re coming to LA? Let’s have dinner,’” Reba recalled to Today.com in an interview published Oct. 10. “I don’t know what it was about it….I wanted to get in to see Rex so bad I could hardly stand it. We were inseparable.”

And while the coronavirus pandemic didn’t make the start of their relationship easy, the “I’m a Survivor” singer noted the two texted and called every day. In fact, she said that she still has his number saved on her phone under “Rex Linn, long-distance boyfriend.”

As for Rex, he keeps Reba’s contact information under “Tater Tot”—with the outlet noting the couple call each other “Sugar Tot” and “Tater Tot,” or just “The Tots,” as nicknames.

Life lately has been tasty for the duo, too. Not only did Reba and Rex appear together in the ABC thriller Big Sky, but she also recently joined The Voice as a coach and released an album and a book called Not That Fancy. And the Grammy winner noted they like to keep their date nights exactly that, telling Today.com they have a yearly tradition of going to Sonic on Valentine’s Day and enjoy the simple pleasures of dinner and a movie at home or a picnic in the park.

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

But would Reba—who was previously married to Charlie Battles and then Narvel Blackstock—and Rex ever want to tie the knot?

“We get along so well the way we are,” she told E! News in January. “You know, if we sometime—it just is a whim and he says, ‘I wanna get married,’ yeah, that’s fine. If I wanna get married, I’m sure he’d say, ‘That’s fine.’ But we get along so well right now, why rock the boat?”