Men's Journal's Blog, page 127

Taylor Swift on her Longest 'Break' in Over Five Years

In recent years, global pop sensation Taylor Swift has treated fans to frequent releases of new music, but fans have had to wait quite a long time since her latest release. In fact, it's been the longest stretch between albums since she joined her current record label.

It has now been over a year since Taylor Swift last released her hit album "The Tortured Poets Department" back in April of 2024. This marks the largest "break" that Taylor has taken between the release of her albums since she released her album "Lover" with Republic Records in August of 2019.

Since releasing "Lover," Swift has released four new original albums – "Folklore," "Evermore," Midnights," and "The Tortured Poets Department" – as well as four re-recorded albums – "Fearless," "Red," "Speak Now," and "1989."

With eight releases in less than six years, Swift has been averaging more than one musical release per year, releasing about one album every eight months. With "The Tortured Poets Department" released on April 19 of 2024, it's now been over a year with no new music from the pop sensation.

It's not clear when Swift will be releasing music or what it could be. Back in 2021, Taylor began re-recording her albums before "Lover" to gain the rights to the master recordings. 

So far, Swift has completed re-recordings of four of her first six albums, with her debut album and "Reputation" remaining. She has hinted to fans that "Reputation" will be the next re-recorded album, but she has not released a re-recorded album since dropping "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in October of 2023.

Taylor finally wrapped up her record-breaking "Eras Tour" in the fall of 2024 and has been taking some well-deserved rest with her football star Travis Kelce, especially after his NFL season concluded in February.

She has obviously been resting, and it seems like it is only a matter of time before Taylor decides to put out new music for her fans, but it has been an abnormally long wait this time around.

Typical Google Employee Salary Revealed

The median income for an individual in the United States is a little over $42,000. However, the median income for a typical, mid-level employee at Google was several times higher than that.

Google's parent company, Alphabet, recently submitted a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that revealed the media salary for a mid-level employee at Google.

According to the filing, obtained by Entrepreneur, the typical Google employee made $331,894 in 2024, which marks a 5 percent increase from the median salary of a mid-level Google employee in 2023.

As Entrepreneur points out, this number is actually fairly consistent with other major tech companies in recent years. For example, the median pay for employees in 2023 was $379,000 a year.

While Google's employees are clearly paid well, the CEO of the company is paid even better.

The filings also showed that Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai received total annual compensation of $10,725,043 last year, which is about 32 times more than the median employee. The filing reveals that Pichai also received a pretty significant raise between 2023 and 2024, as his current salary was nearly $2 million greater than the $8,802,824 he made in 2023.

Clearly, Google employees are well-paid, from the top down.

T-Mobile Warns of Bad News for Smartphone Customers

The CEO of T-Mobile is joining the top executives of other major U.S. companies and warning about looming bad news for consumers if tariff wars don't subside.

According to Yahoo Finance, T-Mobile's CEO Mike Sievert said costs will be borne by customers if the tariffs "fully kick in," increasing costs.

"Tariffs are unpredictable at this point," Sievert told Yahoo Finance on April 24, 2025. "Obviously, we're watching closely. If they come in and they're significant in some way, that's going to have to be borne by the customer. I mean, our model isn't prepared for something like that."

According to Yahoo Finance, he warned of price hikes.

"I think what would happen is prices will rise for smartphones, and then people will slow down their purchases of smartphones, and upgrade rates will slow. Those would be the dynamics that would happen. We don't see that that is on the way," he said to the site.

T-Mobile's CEO isn't alone. The heads of other major companies, including a popular toothpaste and toilet paper brand, have also warned that the tariffs could cause problems for consumers.

As it braces for tariff impact, T-Mobile has been expanding its offerings.

The company "announced two new plans that replace its Go5G Plus and Go5G Next offerings, refreshed its prepaid Metro line and wrapped them all in a promised five-year pricing guarantee," according to Cnet.

Jon Friar, president of T-Mobile's consumer group,  explained to Cnet that the new plans are in response to consumer angst over the economy.

"The pain point that's out there over the last couple of years is rising costs all around consumers," Friar said to Cnet. "For us to be able to bring more value and even lower prices on Experience More versus our former Go5G Plus is a huge win for consumers."

Related: Beloved Toothpaste Company Delivers Bad News

Prince Andrew Accuser's Lawyer Questions Her Sudden Death

The lawyer for Prince Andrew's accuser Virginia Giuffre is raising questions about her sudden death.

Her lawyer Karrie Louden told The Sun, "We've got big question marks over it. There's suicide and then there's misadventure."

NBC News first reported, via Giuffre's family, that she died of suicide in Australia.

In addition, Giuffre's dad Sky Roberts told TMZ that he wants her death investigated because she posted in a video that people should not believe any suicide claim.

According to E! News, Giuffre had accused now-deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was a teenager; he has denied the accusations.

Louden added to The Sun of her death: "I didn't see her in the room. I wasn't in there. The family said what the family has said but I'm not going to speculate whether it was suicide or accidental."

"You'll all be aware that she's been in hospital. She's been on medications," Louden added to The Sun. "Has she just taken too many painkillers? Was she intentionally doing it? I just, you know… I don't even know what the cause of death was."

Louden also told The Sun that Giuffre had sounded positive recently.

"She was in a lot of pain but she was looking forward to things in the future," the lawyer said in the interview.

"She wanted to renovate this house and all sorts of things like that. There were plans that she had for the future...When I got the phone call, I was like, are you joking. Because there was no signs that that was something she was considering?"

"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," Giuffre's family said in a statement released to NBC News. "She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking."

"Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors," the statement said. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."

Related: Virginia Giuffre Instagram Post Spoke of 'Shattered' Heart

Iconic Las Vegas Strip Hotels Announce Major Change

A group of iconic Las Vegas resorts is making a major change that will affect customers.

They are getting rid of the "concierge desk," according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, which reported that MGM Resorts International confirmed on April 26, 2025, that "it is shutting down in-person concierge services at most of its Strip resorts."

The resorts that will lose the service are the MGM Grand, The Signature, New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, and Vdara, The Review-Journal reported.

As a result, 34 workers are losing their jobs, although they will be moved to other positions, according to the newspaper.

Some well-known MGM resorts, like the Bellagio, are not losing concierge service, The Review-Journal reported.

According to The Review-Journal, the company says the change is the result of “evolving guest preferences,” which are moving away from in-person services.

The MGM website still has a page listing concierge services.

"Whatever you desire, the Concierge at MGM Grand is here to assist. From dining, show and tour reservations to tee times, spa appointments and everything in between, we’ll help you arrange the most memorable stay imaginable," it reads.

The concierges were available to assist with everything from dining reservations to concert and show tickets, the website says.

Forbes reported on April 26 that there is industry-wide concern about depressed travel spending due to recession and tariff fears.

According to SFGate, a "digital" concierge service is still available to customers.

The "concierge desk" was a "Las Vegas hotel-casino amenity for decades" but now may be going the way of "extinction," CDC Gaming reported.

Related: Beloved Toothpaste Company Delivers Bad News

Bill Belichick's Girlfriend 'Stormed' Out of Major Interview: Report

Bill Belichick's girlfriend Jordon Hudson "stormed" out of his major interview with CBS, according to TMZ.

In an April 28, 2025, article, TMZ gave additional details about the interview, which made headlines due to a clip in which Hudson shut down a line of questioning about when she and Belichick met.

“We’re not talking about this,” she said in that clip, according to Page Six.

TMZ Sports reported that sources, which the outlet didn't identify, accused Hudson of  having "stormed out of the room" and having "delayed shooting for 30 minutes."

Belichick granted the interview with CBS journalist Tony Dokoupil to discuss his new book, The Art of Winning, according to TMZ.

According to TMZ, Hudson interrupted the interview more than once and "even when the legendary coach was answering questions about football, she would stop and correct him."

CBS included a clip of Hudson interjecting at just one point.

However, TMZ reported that there was more the network didn't show. Hudson "stood up and walked out" of the interview at another point, TMZ reported.

According to The New York Post, Hudson's "influence" over Belichick is sparking concern at the University of North Carolina, where he coaches.

Hudson, 24, is a former cheerleader; Belichick is 73 years old, according to Page Six. In the interview, Belichick indicated he doesn't let the criticism around his relationship faze him, saying he has “never been too worried about what everybody else thinks," Page Six reported. 

Hudson has frequently posted photos showing her with Belichick on her Instagram page. She even posted a picture showing her in a mermaid costume on a beach next to Belichick holding a fishing pole.

Related: Cam Ward's Girlfriend Nailah Landon Gives Big NFL Draft Hint

The True Meaning of One Key Detail From the Latest 'The Last of Us' Episode

The latest episode of The Last Of Us sees Ellie (Bella Ramsey) grappling with the fallout from (SPOILER ALERT) Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) death.

However, for fans who are just watching the show, one way Bella memorializes Pedro Pascal’s character may raise a few questions. After Joel’s death, Bella leaves coffee beans on his grave.

In the lore of The Last Of Us, coffee is seen as a luxury commodity in the wake of the Cordyceps infection. Whenever Ellie and Joel were in a place with a coffee pot or that used to sell the beverage, the latter would often make a comment about how he misses coffee.

In season two’s second episode, Joel (Pedro Pascal) is killed by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who seeks revenge for the death of her father—the surgeon Joel killed at the end of Season 1 to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey). The doctor had planned to operate on Ellie in hopes of creating a cure for the Cordyceps plague, though the procedure would have cost Ellie her life.

Related: Who Is Catherine O'Hara's Mysterious 'Last of Us' Season 2 Character?

Despite the shocking death of Pascal’s character, The Last Of Us co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin is not worried it will tank ratings.

“Look, if the emotional response is not intense, then we f--ked up. This is not to say, “Great job us.” It’s important that people be upset but also that they now connect to the characters in the show who are just as upset, if not more so, than they are,” Mazin said in to The Hollywood Reporter, . “What do they do? Also, characters that we think are gone are not always gone. But I’m not concerned that ratings will fall off the edge of a cliff, I don’t think that’s how it works. I also know how powerful the rest of this story is and also how invested we are in these other relationships. But Joel will always be there.”

Season 2 of The Last Of Us is currently airing on HBO.

Ben Stiller Responds to NFL Player’s 'Severance' Question with 4 Words

When The New York Jets' Breece Hall asked Twitter if Severance was worth watching, Ben Stiller responded with four words: "I think so sir."

The comment was met with many responses by amused followers, who wrote things like, "You may be a little biased," and, "The most unbiased response ever I say," with a laughing emoji. 

So what, exactly, was Stiller's role in the hit Apple TV+ series?

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Stiller is not only an executive producer but has also directed a "majority" of the episodes. And despite his resume as a performer, Stiller tells the outlet he does not plan on acting in Severence anytime soon.  

I think so sir.

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 28, 2025

Relating the show to his childhood, Stiller explained that his home life was very different than the one depicted onscreen in Severance. "My parents' creative process was always happening around the house because they had to write and perform together." 

Stiller directed his first feature, Reality Bites, in 1994-- a film he starred in himself. However, his talents as a comedic actor often made taking on more directing work difficult. Speaking to THR, Judd Apatow explained, "... it's hard to put two or three years aside to direct a feature film when you are getting offered a series of really good movies to star in. It's a real sacrifice to that part of your career to take the time to direct." 

Stiller has said he doesn't plan to take three years to release the next season of Severance. And another season is coming. Apple TV+ confirmed a third season of the series only hours after the Season 2 finale. 

Related: Ben Stiller Pushes Back on 'Sinners' Box Office Narrative in Viral Tweet

Travis Kelce Makes Major Move With Justin Timberlake

Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce has kept a relatively low profile since the team suffered a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIV back in February. But he stepped out in a big way this weekend with an A-list celebrity.

A source recently told People that Kelce and his superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift have been enjoying some intentional "private time out of the spotlight."

"They have been traveling nonstop and very much enjoy it," a source told People. "They are making the most of their time off together. They are hanging out with friends, too. It's a special time for them...They value the same things. Right now, the focus is very much on private time out of the spotlight."

However, Travis stepped into the spotlight in a big way for pop star Justin Timberlake, taking part in an outing and a video for the former *NSYNC star.

In a video posted on the Instagram account of Justin Timberlake's 8AM Golf brand, Kelce could be seen dancing at a card table alongside Timberlake. The video was filmed in Las Vegas ahead of the 2025 8AM Golf Invitational which Kelce took part in.

View the original article to see embedded media.

"After dark at the 8AM Invitational did not disappoint," the caption of the post read.

Kelce is set to return to the Kansas City Chiefs next season after briefly considering retirement. Kelce admits that he did not play to his potential last season, and he wants to perform better this year.

“I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year,” Kelce said via Pro Football Talk. “I don’t think it was my best outing, you know? I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. You know, I want to give it a good run. I got a bad taste in my mouth about how I ended the year and how well I was playing, and how accountable I was for the people around me.”

We'll have to see how Kelce plays in what will likely be his final season with the Chiefs.

Vanna White Shares Telling Pat Sajak Update Before Reunion

Earlier this month Vanna White detailed her decision to remain with Wheel of Fortune after legendary host Pat Sajak retired after 43 years on the show.

“Am I going to stay? Do I go out with [Sajak] after 41 years together? It was going to be hard to work with somebody else, you know, after being so familiar with [Sajak],” she recalled. “It was just very hard for me to make that decision because I’m happy with my job. I still love my job. I decided to obviously stay on and I’m glad I did. There’s always contracts, there’s always controversy and all that stuff, but everything’s fine. I’m happy. We’re here.”

During that interview, White admitted she recently saw Sajak who she called "healthy" and "happy". “I talk to Pat all the time. He’s doing great. He’s healthy, he’s happy,” White said of her longtime on-air partner. “I just had dinner with him about a month ago, so I just want to let everyone out here know he’s doing good.”

Vanna White

Bravo/Getty Images

Fast forward a few weeks and White was back in the headlines talking about Sajak ahead of their reunion on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune which debuts later this month on April 30. In a conversation with TV Insider, White admitted it was "sad" when Sajak departed, however, they've stayed in close contact.

“It was sad for me in a way because [at the time] I didn’t know what the future held. It was ending an unbelievable era!" she said. “I still see him!” White enthuses. “We’re friends. We have dinner! Yeah, he’s still in my life.”

When the two do get back together, White likened their relationship like “slipping into something very comfortable. I mean that in the best possible way. It’s just comfortable."

Related: Travis Kelce Unrecognizable to Fans in New Public Appearance