Dolly Parton asks fans to stream original ‘Jolene’ before Beyoncé releases her cover
Dolly Parton has asked her fans to stream her original track ‘Jolene’ before Beyoncé drops her cover of the track.
The ‘Love On Top’ singer is set to share her version of the iconic 1973 country track tomorrow (March 29), as part of her highly-anticipated new album ‘Cowboy Carter’.
Now, one day before the track goes live, the original ‘Jolene’ singer Dolly Parton has requested that fans stream her version of the song before the cover drops.
Sharing the tracklist on her Instagram Story, Parton wrote: “Play the original while you wait for @beyonce’s ‘Jolene’,” using the newfound hype around the track to draw attention back to the classic version.
The update from the country music veteran comes after she accidentally let slip that the pop icon had put her own spin on the track for her forthcoming album.
Speaking to Knox News earlier this month, she said: “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! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
She also gave her blessing to Bey covering the track, adding: “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.”
Arriving tomorrow, ‘Cowboy Carter’ is the second instalment of a believed trilogy project that began with 2022’s ‘Renaissance’.
There has been hype around the album for months now, and yesterday (March 27) the singer shared the full tracklist with fans. Currently released singles include ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ‘16 Carriages’.
Rumours that Parton herself will star on the album have remained constant in recent weeks, and more recently it was speculated by fans that more guest stars may be lined up for the LP, including Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson and Post Malone.
So far, Bey has shared two singles from the album: ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ‘16 Carriages’. The latter led to her becoming the first Black woman to top the Country charts, and she has also become the first woman to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hip Songs charts since these run-downs began in 1958. The only other artists to have led both charts are Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ray Charles and Morgan Wallen.
The singer drew mixed responses after sharing that she was releasing a country album, and Azealia Banks described her new music as “white woman cosplay”, adding that she is “setting herself up to be ridiculed”.
Beyoncé addressed some of the backlash she has received for foraying into the country music sphere. Writing on Instagram, she said: “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.”
The album is available for pre-save/pre-order here. Limited edition coloured vinyl pressings in red, white, blue and black are available as well as two limited-edition CDs with alternative cover photos featuring half of her face on display.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
