Beyoncé's 'Jolene' Cover Has Dolly Parton's Approval And Fans Are Obsessed

28 March 2024, 15:27 | Updated: 28 March 2024, 16:20

Beyoncé covered Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' on latest album 'Cowboy Carter'
Beyoncé covered Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' on latest album 'Cowboy Carter'. Picture: Getty

By Tiasha Debray

Beyoncé’s covered 'Jolene' as one of her singles on her country album 'Act II: Cowboy Carter'. But what does Dolly Parton have to say about it?

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Beyoncé has shared her tracklist for her album ‘Cowboy Carter’ which will drop on the 29th of March.

The album is the second instalment of the Renaissance trilogy, which she announced she was releasing during her last album.

Songs like 'Texas Hold Em'' and ‘16 Chains’ have already been released as singles to much success and her fans have eagerly been awaiting to see the other songs on the album as well as any hints at the type of collaborations she has in store.

On the poster artwork, what looks to be 27 songs have been titled for the enormous album and one song amongst them is garnering a lot of attention.

Beyoncé upcoming album will be named 'Cowboy Carter'
Beyoncé upcoming album will be named 'Cowboy Carter'. Picture: Getty

Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit single ‘Jolene’ was listed on the post alongside another bubble that had ‘Dolly P’ written in it.

It was not confirmed whether ‘Dolly P’ would be another song or just a reference to the country icon’s collaboration on the album.

Dolly promoted the album by tweeting, "Listen to my original 'Jolene' while you wait for @Beyonce’s COWBOY CARTER - Dolly P," she wrote alongside a photo of Beyoncé's tracklist poster.

This isn’t the first time Dolly promoted Beyoncé’s upcoming cover of her song. Early in March, the country musician spoke with Knox News, saying “Well, I think she has! I think she's recorded 'Jolene' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that."

"I love her!" Dolly went on to say, "She's a beautiful girl and a great singer. We've kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great."

Dolly Parton confessed she 'loves' Beyoncé
Dolly Parton confessed she 'loves' Beyoncé. Picture: Getty

Speaking of fans, Beyoncé and Dolly fans alike have united in their excitement, sharing comments under Beyonce’s social post that don’t hold anything back.

"Joleneeeeeeee I’m gonna cry!" one fan commented one fan. "The legends. Dolly P and Bey. laaawwwwddddd," added another.

“I’ve wanted to hear Beyoncé sing Jolene for YEARS”, a fan expressed a popular sentiment as another wrote, “I have wanted Jolene from you for years I cannot wait”

"This album is about to …baby she’s bout to cut Jolene UP" commented another.

Some fans were reduced to single words only in their excitement, with one that furiously typed, “DOLLY!! WILLIE!! JOLENE!!” and another pretty much summed the situation up in one comment that read, “Jolene… Dolly Parton… Beyoncé… World stop.”

Beyoncé uploaded a poster of her tracklist onto her socials
Beyoncé uploaded a poster of her tracklist onto her socials. Picture: Instagram: @beyonce

Alongside Dolly’s name, country music legends Willie Nelson and Linda Martell were also featured on the poster.

Like ‘Dolly P’, it’s unclear whether they will be featured in new songs or whether their iconic music will be sampled and/or covered.

Some contemporary artists are also set to join the star-studded album, with rumours that the song ‘Levii’s Jeans’ will feature Post Malone and Miley Cyrus will feature on the song ‘II Most Wanted.’

In a note Beyoncé shared on social media earlier in March, she revealed 'Cowboy Carter' was born out of not feeling “welcomed” to the world of country music.

“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t.”

“But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. 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.”

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

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