We’re just one weekend away from Taylor Swift‘s world domination official album release on October 27, and the more we get to hear of 1989, the more it becomes clear that this is indeed the huge leap into pop that she promises us.

But Thursday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” we got the chance to see Taylor perform some of these brand-new tracks live. Aside from her VMA performance of “Shake It Off,” we haven’t gotten the chance to watch Taylor sing her new songs live—and boy was it worth the wait. Not content to perform within the constraining bounds of four walls, Tay Tay instead opted to shut down the entirety of Hollywood Boulevard, performing “Out of the Woods” for the first time.

In a shimmery, black bra top and black cigarette pants, Swift sang her songs at a standing mic, leaving any fancy choreography behind and substituting it with bad-ass attitude. Watch the clips below, and tell us what you think of her performance!

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

The first case of Ebola in New York City has been reported tonight (October 23), according to The New York Times. Doctor Craig Spencer, who was treating patients of the disease in Guinea and recently returned to New York, has tested positive for the virus. Spencer was working with the organization Doctors Without Borders before he returned to New York City a few days ago on October 14.

Spencer took the subway from Manhattan to Brooklyn on Wednesday night (October 22), where he reportedly spent the evening at either Brooklyn Bowl, a music venue and bowling alley in Williamsburg, or another bowling alley called The Gutter, and then returned to his apartment in Harlem via a taxi or the ride-sharing service Uber.

He awoke with a fever of 103 degrees and contacted authorities about his condition and was subsequently rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center where he was placed in isolation. Health officials have also sealed off his Harlem apartment and deployed what they call “disease detectives” to “to actively trace all of the patient’s contacts to identify anyone who may be at potential risk.”

Related: 99 Things More Likely To Kill You Than Ebola

In the official statement, the department went on to say that they are doing everything in their power to quarantine any other possible cases of the virus.

“The Health Department staff has established protocols to identify, notify, and, if necessary, quarantine any contacts of Ebola cases,” the statement said. “The Health Department is also working ...

Coming out can be a difficult and delicate situation for anyone — but it’s even more challenging for those who are in the public eye in some way. Which is why the brave decision of a transgender teacher in Pasco County, Florida to publicly let students know about the transitioning process is so important.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Robert Konrad, 30, a social studies teacher at Mitchell High School, chose to inform the entire community that he no longer identifies as a man, and is in the process of transitioning to present as a woman. On Thursday (October 23), principal Jim Michaels sent emails and robocalls to inform parents of the situation, and the rest of the student body and staff were told while at school.

Related: Here’s What Is Not OK To Ask Your Transgender Friends — And What Is

“Mr. Konrad has begun the process of gender transition and is anticipating presenting as a female no later than August of 2015,” Michaels wrote in the email. “As you can imagine, this is a very private decision, but Mr. Konrad has indicated that he will respond to appropriate questions you may have about the transition process.” The email was also read at a staff meeting in Mr. Konrad’s classes. He has been a teacher at the school since 2010, and his wife also works at the school.

While Konrad declined to comment to the paper, his decision to be this open about the transitioning process is a ...

When I was about eight years old, my beloved dog Archie escaped out the backdoor and ran away from home. For an hour or so we couldn’t find him and I was horrified at the idea that he might be gone forever, but luckily he was spotted running through a wheat field somewhere and we got him back.

Now, almost everyone probably has a similar story like this with one of their pets — that dreaded moment when you worry that your best friend, your companion and your comfort is suddenly gone from your life. Which is probably why watching this video of these kids reunite with their cat who was lost for two whole months will cause even the most stone-faced of us to shed at least a single, solitary tear.

The mother of these four kids found their beloved 13-year-old cat Maddy wandering out near a gas station, and surprised them with her return. Of course, she also thought ahead far enough to film the whole think, resulting in this tear-jerking video.

One of the kids has to excuse himself to go outside because he’s so overwhelmed, another bursts into tears almost immediately. The best part though? The insistence from one of the kids that he “knew it!” — he never gave up hope. Watch all the cuteness for yourself below, then go hug your pet.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Drake loves to drop new music when we’re least expecting it, so of course Sunday early evening is when his latest song “How About Now” hit the web. It samples Jodeci‘s classic “My Heart Belongs To You.”

According to The Fader it was originally posted by a teenage Soundcloud user in Marietta, Gerogia who claims it is a leak from Drizzy’s forthcoming album Views From The Six.

The song was removed from Soundcloud but is still floating around the internet. It sounds more like an outtake from last year’s Nothing Was The Same than a brand new direction for Drake, and of course, it takes a girl to task for not appreciating him enough before he was famous.

There’s also a voicemail intro from a female voice that sounds a hell of a lot like Nicki Minaj.

Listen below.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Jason Momoa, better known to “Game Of Thrones” fans as Khal Drogo held nothing back when he was auditioning for the role. Momoa’s portrayal of the Dothraki lord is easily one of the show’s highlights, but this unearthed video of him auditioning for the part back in 2012 is even more delightful.

Momoa brings a fervent and fiercely passionate energy to the audition immediately, and he is apparently performing a traditional Maoridance called the haka. The dance has nothing to do with “Game Of Thrones” itself, but it helped convey the kind of intensity Momoa would bring to the role—even if it was just for nine episodes. He was born in Hawaii and has talked before about his fascination with Polynesian culture, so his choice makes sense.

“We come from the same [Polynesian] culture,” Momoa explained last year to the New Zealand site stuff. “When I found out more about the Maori culture I fell in love with it, and with the people too. There’s a lot of pride here which I love, being Hawaiian and being part of the US I love but our Hawaiian culture perishes a little bit, and it’s really supported out here. There are few indigenous cultures that have done as well as the Maori.”

As far as why he chose the dance, the actor said he thought it conveyed the warrior mentality in a fluid way.

“It’s very, very powerful, and I wanted to capture that,” he said. “I just ...

Ever since she got married to Kanye West and became a mom, Kim Kardashian’s eyes have been opened to a lot of the evils of the world. She penned an open letter reflecting on racism earlier this year after giving birth to her daughter, North, and a few other racist incidents also drew a strong response from Kim.

But now she has another grievance to tackle: bullying. Plenty of stars have spoken out on the dangers of this particular emotional abuse, and it’s heartening to see people with these kind of platforms using them for good.

It may be a simple Instagram, but the brief set of stories is a compelling reminder of the way bullying can impact all of us.

She also took a moment to call out the people who bully her with mean, derogatory comments. “You think you know but sometimes you just don’t #IHateBullying #MeanCommentsIsBullyingTo,” she captioned the photo. Everyone has their own sore spots and we need to be respectful and courteous whenever possible, whether it be to a celebrity like Kim or one of our acquaintances. It’s an important reminder.

If you or someone you know is suffering from bullying, visit A Thin Line for resources and support.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

The lead up to Taylor Swift‘s first major pop album 1989 has been like a treasure hunt meshed with a birthday party. Between the fan-focused secret listening sessions, the hilarious outtakes from her “Shake It Off” video and the Harry Styles rumors that are swirling around her next single “Out Of The Woods” it has been quite a ride.

But all that is about to get swept under the rug and completely surpassed. Why? Because last night she teased her next single on Twitter and I feel like it’s going to be a doozy.

The shot of her with a skyline? That’d be New York City, the place where Tay Tay has been spending a ton of her time lately, and according to the ever-churning Swiftie rumor mill, there’s a song on her album called “Welcome To New York” that this photo might reference that track.

Related: Taylor Swift Gave A Moment Of Silence For Becky At ANOTHER 1989 Secret Session

Though Taylor has claimed on her Tumblr that the tracklist is wrong, she also had to go back and revise that it is right about some things! But if this leak does have any hint of truth, then the song is one that Taylor co-wrote with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder so you know it will have a huge emotional chorus buoyed by probably strings and beautiful piano, right?? Guess we’ll just have to wait until ...

Drake has made his love for all things sports known. Whether it’s putting out the name-checking track “Draft Day,” cheering on his very own Toronto Raptors while lint-rolling his pants, or delivering a pep talk to the University of Kentucky’s basketball team after their Final Four win.

And though we know he’s loyal to his Raptors, it’s Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness pre-season scrimmage that drew Drizzy to go the extra mile—including a full dress down and warm up with the team.

First, he personally greeted every Wildcats player with a high five and his signature Drizzy good luck grin:

Unfortunately, his three-pointer is more of a brick…

But he made up for it by showing off his champion lint-rolling skills:

Truly, he is a champion lint-roller. If you need your own though, don’t forget that he had some custom-made.

And he introduced Coach Calipari to the crowd with another inspirational pump-up speech:

Drake sure knows how to warm up a crowd—might want to work on that 3-point shot though.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait

Drake has made his love for all things sports known. Whether it’s putting out the name-checking track “Draft Day,” cheering on his very own Toronto Raptors while lint-rolling his pants, or delivering a pep talk to the University of Kentucky’s basketball team after their Final Four win.

And though we know he’s loyal to his Raptors, it’s Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness pre-season scrimmage that drew Drizzy to go the extra mile—including a full dress down and warm up with the team.

First, he personally greeted every Wildcats player with a high five and his signature Drizzy good luck grin:

Unfortunately, his three-pointer is more of a brick…

But he made up for it by showing off his champion lint-rolling skills:

Truly, he is a champion lint-roller. If you need your own though, don’t forget that he had some custom-made.

And he introduced Coach Calipari to the crowd with another inspirational pump-up speech:

Drake sure knows how to warm up a crowd—might want to work on that 3-point shot though.

Caitlin White

MTV Weekend Editor. Acts like Madonna but listens to Merle.

@harmonicait