Dolly Parton Shares Her Unfiltered Thoughts About Beyoncé And Her Unique Cover Of 'Jolene'

Since releasing her country album, "Cowboy Carter," Beyoncé has garnered the praise of several country stars, from Billy Ray Cyrus to the iconic Dolly Parton.
In fact, Beyoncé covered one of Parton's biggest hits on her genre-bending project, and during a recent interview, the "9 to 5" singer shared her candid thoughts about the "Crazy In Love" singer's rendition.
On her eighth studio album, Beyoncé recorded a slew of country singles, including the chart-topping track "Texas Hold 'Em," and her cover of Parton's hit song, "Jolene."
However, Queen Bey's version is altered slightly from the original, featuring the lyrics, "I'm warning you, don't come for my man."
Although different, Parton loved Beyoncé's iteration and even described herself as a "huge fan" of the Destiny's Child alum. "I mean, who's not? Everybody loves her,' she told PEOPLE.
'I think she's a magnificent artist, beautiful and the dancing in addition to the singing," Parton continued, before revealing more of her thoughts about the "Single Ladies" singer's version of her classic country hit.
'I was just honored that she, of course, did a completely different take on 'Jolene' than my version of it," Parton told the publication. "Hers was more like, 'Well, you're not getting him, you're not taking him, you're going to go through me to get him.' Mine was more like, 'Please don't take him!' So I loved her interpretation."
Parton explained that as a musician, she is always interested in hearing how another artist will interpret her work. But she admitted she was "very proud" of Beyoncé's version specifically and wished the mother of three well on her ongoing "Cowboy Carter" tour.
When the news of Beyoncé's country album broke in 2024, rumors began circulating that the singer would include a version of Parton's "Jolene" on the project.
Parton didn't officially confirm the news at the time, but in a previous interview, she reaffirmed her love for the singer and said she was "excited she's done a country album."
The 79-year-old even defended Bey's country roots, saying that people "don't realize Beyoncé is a country girl ... from Texas."
'I think we belong wherever we can do good, and her song is number one across every chart in the whole world, I think. So, I mean, who can argue with that?'
And even though Beyoncé's single, "Texas Hold 'Em," reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and Country Music charts, "Cowboy Carter" was still left off the ballot for the 2024 Country Music Awards (CMAs).
Loyal BeyHive fans swarmed social media to voice their frustration about Beyoncé's name being excluded from the nominations, considering she was the first Black woman to secure a No. 1 country single in the genre's history.
Parton also weighed in on the controversy and shared her thoughts on why Beyoncé might've been overlooked.
"Well, you never know. There's so many wonderful country artists that, I guess, probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can't really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that," she said.
And she wasn't the only one with this perspective.
Luke Bryan, a prominent country music star and past CMA host known for hits like "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)," told Andy Cohen that the situation regarding Beyoncé and the award show was "tricky."
"It's a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back. And if she doesn't get something they want, man, they come at you," Bryan said. "I'm all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that. But just by declaring that, just because she made one. I don't need [a nomination], just 'cause I make one."
"Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody's mad about it. But where things get a little tricky and, and you know — if you're gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit," he added. "Beyoncé can do it exactly what she wants to. She's probably the biggest star in music."
"But come to an award show and high-five us, and have fun and get in the family too," the country music singer continued. "And I'm not saying she didn't do that."

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