The past is the trailer: Dolly Parton’s last recording, Madonna’s VMA return and an ‘Endgame’ encore may all be selling what comes next

U2’s new album closes on Dolly Parton’s final vocal, the VMAs leaned on Madonna, Nirvana and a Parton tribute, and a Marvel re-release topped the box office. Read together, they suggest legacy may be working as a launch pad, not a look back.

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