Dolly Parton Responds to Beyoncé Revealing She Covered “Jolene”
“Play the original.”
Country singer and music icon Dolly Parton has officially responded to Beyoncé covering her famous song, "Jolene."
On Wednesday, Beyoncé revealed the tracklist for her upcoming country record Cowboy Carter, posting a poster-style picture listing all 27 songs on her Instagram. To the delight of many, the list includes a version if Parton's iconic 1973 single "Jolene."
Parton herself responded to the revelation, re-sharing the post to her Instagram stories while encouraging her fans to listen to the OG version while they (impatiently) wait for Queen B's cover.
"Listen to my original 'Jolene' while you wait for @Beyonce’s COWBOY CARTER - Dolly P," Parton wrote on the post, and in addition to sharing the same sentiment (along with Beyonce's tracklist and a throwback photograph of herself in 1973) on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A photo posted by beyonce
As Entertainment Tonight reports, Parton's original version of the hit track has been streamed on Spotify more than 600 million times. In other words, decades later, the song is still incredibly popular and able to deeply resonate with fans, both old and new.
In fact, Queen B's faithful fans were quick to show Parton some love after she revealed she was covering "Jolene," taking to the comments on Beyoncé's Instagram post to prove just how excited they are for the "Single Ladies" singer's rendition.
"The legends 🫢 Dolly P and Bey🥹 laaawwwwddddd," one fan commented.
"I have wanted Jolene from you for years I cannot wait️," another wrote.
"This album is about to …baby she’s bout to cut Jolene UP," wrote another excited fan.
A photo posted by beyonce
In a previous interview with Knox News, Parton said she thought Beyoncé has recorded a new version of "Jolene."
"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," she said at the time. "I love her! 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."
Parton is not the only famous country star who appears on Beyoncé's upcoming album's tracklist—icons Willie Nelson and Linda Martell's names also appear, though it is unclear if that means they will be singing on the album.
Cowboy Carter is scheduled to be released on March 29, so mark your calendars.
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Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.