Yes, Dolly Parton Heard Lil Nas X’s ‘Jolene’ Cover, and Yes, She Loves It
Lil Nas X put a progressive twist on Dolly Parton's "Jolene," and it got back to the country legend. Taking to social media, the OG "Jolene" singer shared that she's honored and flattered by the cover.
The video was filmed for BBC Radio 1 and released earlier this month. Thus far it has notched 1.7 million views and a mostly positive response. A moody guitar and modern drumming back Lil Nas X, who delivers in a crimson room adorned with wildflowers.
Country fans may recall Lil Nas X started his career with an "Old Town Road" collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus, whose daughter Miley Cyrus is goddaughter to Parton.
Parton quote-tweeted Lil Nas X, saying that she was eager to listen to his version as soon as she heard he'd done it. "It's really good," she says. "Of course, I love him anyway. I was surprised and I'm honored and flattered. I hope he does good for both us us. Thank you @LilNasX."
It's been a quite year for Parton, while Lil Nas X recently released a new album called Montero, on which he does a duet with Miley Cyrus. Thus far it has peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Despite being disqualified from the Billboard country charts, "Old Town Road" won a CMA Award and two Grammys. The new album relies mostly on pop and hip-hop influences, but is being praised as a dynamic project with many influences.
"Jolene" is one of Parton's most famous songs, reaching No. 1 soon after its release in 1973. It's been covered many times since, including by Pentatonix who won a Grammy in the Best Duo/Group Performance category in 2016.