If you thought Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” was icy cold, just wait until you hear Beyoncé’s sinister version of the song.
The Renaissance singer’s new album, Cowboy Carter, arrived at midnight on Friday and, as promised, it’s a marathon-length, star-studded country rodeo. The 27-track LP is presented in the style of a country radio show, with Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, and Parton herself making appearances as DJs.
On the spoken interlude track “Dolly P,” Parton addresses Beyoncé directly: “Hey Miss Honey B, it’s Dolly P,” she begins. From there, Parton references “Becky with the good hair,” the mistress featured on Beyoncé’s Lemonade album.
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“You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about?” Parton says. “Reminded me of someone I knew back when. Except she has flaming locks of auburn hair, bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.” That, of course, is a nod to the titular vixen of Parton’s 1973 hit, who has “flaming locks of auburn hair” and who dared to “take [her] man.”
The guitar-strumming instrumental on “Dolly P” then transitions seamlessly into Beyoncé’s “Jolene,” which is much more threatening than the original.
“You don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene / We been deep in love for 20 years / I raised that man, I raised his kids,” Beyoncé sings in the first verse. “I can easily understand why you’re attracted to my man / But you don’t want this smoke, so shoot your shot for someone else.”
Later, she switches up the chorus in a nod to her family’s Louisiana heritage, singing, “I know I’m a queen, Jolene / I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne / Don’t try me.”
Last month, Parton gave her stamp of approval to Beyoncé when she wrote on Instagram, “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and and very excited that she’s done a country album.” She also applauded Bey for topping the charts with her single “Texas Hold ’Em,” writing, “Congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single.”
Besides Parton, Nelson, and Martell, Cowboy Carter also features Miley Cyrus on the free-spirit anthem “II Most Wanted” and Post Malone on the sexy cut “Levii’s Jeans.” Country singer Tanner Adell lends her vocals to “Blackbiird,” a cover of the Beatles classic, while Pharrell Williams pops up on “Sweet Honey Buckiin’” and Shaboozey joins on “Spaghettii.” There is, however, no Taylor Swift anywhere to be found, as some hopeful fans had predicted; the closest thing we get to that is Beyoncé singing the line “Look what you made me do” on track 11, “Daughter.”
