Dolly Parton may be the reigning queen of country, but one royal definitely can recognize someone else’s regal game. In the wake of Beyoncé dropping two country songs and making some Billboard chart history along the way, Parton said she wouldn’t be surprised if some of her rhinestone-studded magic dust ended up on Bey’s upcoming Act II album.
“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,” Parton told Knox News about whispers that Beyoncé collaborated with Parton or at least covered one of the country icon’s most beloved songs on her upcoming eighth studio album, due out on March 29.
“I love her!” Parton, 78, said about Beyoncé, 42. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.” At press time a spokesperson for Beyoncé had not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment on Parton’s claim. Though it’s unknown if the 1973 Parton classic broadside against a woman with designs on her man — which peaked for Parton at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 — will appear on Bey’s follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, after her initial excitement, Dolly hedged her bets later in the interview.
The outlet said Parton subsequently added that she’d “heard” and “thinks,” or maybe “hopes” that Beyoncé had taken on the song that has been memorably covered by everyone from Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, to the White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Lil Nas X, Pentatonix and many more. At the very least, Parton said she’s always wanted Beyoncé to cover “Jolene” and that the two had been in contact in the past.
“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 said.
Though the track list for Act II has not yet been revealed, the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” was one of two country-flecked songs that Beyoncé released on Feb. 11, along with “16 Carriages”; both songs were announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 11.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” has notched three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which earlier became Bey’s historic first No. 1 on the ranking; prior to its ascendance, no Black woman, or female known to be biracial, had previously led the list.
