Becky with the good hair, meet Jolene.
A cover or sample of “Jolene” may be on the way from Beyoncé, at least according to Dolly Parton. During a recent interview with Tennessee outlet Knox News, Parton revealed that Queen Bey had recorded a rendition of her iconic song — and it might even be featured on Beyoncé’s Act II.
“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 said.
“I love her!” she added. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
Parton has shared her support for Beyoncé’s recent country endeavor before. When “Texas Hold ‘Em” hit Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, Parton posted a statement sharing her excitement for the upcoming album.
“I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” Parton wrote at the time. “So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album.”
During an interview with Big Issue in 2020, Parton said she’d “always hoped” Bey would become one of the hundreds of artists to record a cover of the track. “Nobody’s ever had a really big hit record on it,” Parton said of the “Jolene” covers. “I’ve always hoped somebody might do someday, someone like Beyoncé.”
Beyoncé announced her eighth album, Act II, during the 2024 Super Bowl and surprise-dropped country singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
“It’s great for her to go this route,” Robert Randolph, who played steel guitar on “16 Carriages,” told Rolling Stone. “In country music for a longest time, it almost seemed like it was supposed to be out of left field when a Black artist says, ‘Hey, I’m going to do a country record.’ It’s crazy that the whole world doesn’t understand the history of country music and fiddles, dobros and banjos. Where do you think that stuff came from?”