Dolly Parton has defended her decision to keep a duet with Kid Rock on the tracklist of her new album ‘Rockstar’, arguing that cancel culture is “terrible”.
Kid Rock appears for a duet with Parton on the track ‘Either Or’, but courted controversy earlier this year when he hit out at Anheuser-Busch over its partnership with trans activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who is a Bud Light brand influencer.
Rock posted a video of himself using a semi-automatic rifle to shoot bullets at several cases of Bud Light which had been placed on top of a table by a river.
“Grandpa is feeling a little frisky today. Let me tell you as clear and concise as possible,” he said before shooting the beer. He then raised his middle finger and shouted: “Fuck Bud Light and fuck Anheuser-Busch.”
Now, Parton has explained why she kept the duet on the album in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. It was recorded prior to the Bud Light incident.
“Somebody was talking to me the other day: ‘How could you do this [song] with Kid?’” she said. “I said, ‘Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you.’ I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love.”
“Like I said, I had done that before, but I’d have probably still done it, because he is a gifted guy, and that song was about a bad boy; it was about a boy that was cheating and mistreating her. But like I say, I love everybody. I don’t criticize, I don’t condone nor condemn. I just accept them. But anyhow, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock in that God way.”
When posed a broader question about cancel culture, Parton said: “I think that’s terrible. We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it. But also when somebody makes a mistake, it depends on who they are. That’s what God is there for.
“Now, I happen to believe in God; I’m a faith-based person, so therefore I am able to see it like that. A lot of people don’t, but even still, everybody deserves a second chance. You deserve to be innocent until you’re proven guilty. Even when you’re proven guilty, if God can forgive you, so can I. If God can forgive you, we all should forgive one another.”
Parton also recently revealed that ‘Rockstar‘ duet with Stevie Nicks was originally written as a song for Fleetwood Mac.
The album is out on Friday (November 17) and is a 30-track compilation of new songs and covers of classics like Heart‘s ‘Magic Man’, Prince‘s ‘Purple Rain’, The Rolling Stones‘ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and many more.
Alongside Nicks, The track list also features 40 guest stars including legends like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, Debbie Harry, Steve Perry, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and more. Pre-order the album here.