Country music legend Dolly Parton has reacted to Lil Nas X’s version of her classic song, ‘Jolene’.
As we reported last week, the gay rapper and singer performed a faithful, stripped-back version of the song for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in the UK last week. You can watch it below.
Related: WATCH: Lil Nas X performs touching cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’
Yesterday evening, Parton commented on the performance.
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Taking to Twitter and Instagram, she said, “I was so excited when someone told me that Lil Nas X had done my song #Jolene. I had to find it and listen to it immediately…and it’s really good. Of course, I love him anyway. I was surprised and I’m honored and flattered. I hope he does good for both of us. Thank you @LilNasX.”
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Lil Nas X quote tweeted that with the caption, “HOLY SHIT.”
HOLY SHIT https://t.co/8n1pAntF2O
— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) September 29, 2021
On Tuesday, Lil Nas X spoke to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM radio show, and was asked about the cover version.
“We originally were going to do a Nirvana song and then like, we were kind of goofing around and you know, like doing ‘Jolene’, it was like, wait a minute. What if we actually did ‘Jolene’?” Lil Nas X said.
“And I feel like, you know, the context to it, like completely changes as you just said, I was like, ‘Oh, that’d be really cool.’ So I went for it. Hey, [I] have like my history with country. So I was like, ah, this is perfect.”
Related: Lil Nas X’s new video features locker room sex scene and Brokeback Mountain homage
Here’s hoping that Lil Nax X and Dolly collaborate at some point in the future. In 2019, Parton revealed she had been asked to contribute to an ‘Old Town Road’ remix, but decided she’d prefer to do something new with Lil Nas X further down the line as several other artists (including Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Lil Wayne and BTS) had already worked on remixes of the track by that stage.
“I had an opportunity to be part of that [song],” she said. “But it had done so well with so many people, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll wait and do something later on. No point in going down that same Old Town Road. We got other roads to travel.’ ”
Following the release of his debut album, Montero, on Friday, September 17, Lil Nas X saw many of the album’s tracks hit the Billboard hot 100 this week, including three inside the top ten.
The album debuted at number two on Billboard’s album chart, just behind Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, which remained at the top for a third consecutive week.
Mister P
I would love for Dolly and Lil Nas X do something together.
HiKo73
Same! You know it would be fire!
Kangol2
Love this love fest between Lil Nas X and Dolly Parton. I’d also love to see them collaborate on some songs.
jordan35
I must be the only person who doesn’t get the obsession with this guy. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing much.
LunaSol2010
He is black gay handsome intelligent great voice and multi-talented. He overcame country blocking his first country song. Refused to accept it. Billy Ray Cyrus supported it to stellar supersuccess and multi Grammy wins.
He’s oozing talent. He is out gay in country rap ballads and pop. He exudes a new wave in which people see black artists, gay artists. He is a trend setter, he faced the same rejection of a young k d lang. I really like his courage, talent, voice, sexy vibe and I so like a confidence that challenges all notes.
Confidence is sexy.
Refusal to be one style only sexy
Courage and dynamic cool sexy
Terrific versatility hes a big superstar in the making and in 1970 to 2000 no one could ever make it with being black and gay.
You can’t see anything special? He is standing on the shoulders of everything we fought for in 1970’s onward. This is the new norm. He is unapologetically himself and successful because he’s talented not because he is gay and black. He is as huge as the RU PAULS DRAG RACE.
WE ARE WATCHING HISTORY IN THE MAKING AND I AM THRILLED & EXCITED FOR HIM. FOR US. FOR OTHERS EMBRACING HIS ARTISTRY.
BE HAPPY FOR HIM.
ITS NOT ABOUT YOU.
HiKo73
Everything LunaSol2010 said stands with me as well 🙂
JB
Agree with all the points LunaSol2010 addressed and would like to add one more: Lil Nas X just seems like a really nice guy. Oh, and one more: style icon. (That three-part outfit at the Met Gala was pure genius.)
Openminded
Luna, Yes, you may be the only person left not liking him now. I didn’t care for him until I heard his cover of Jolene. For some reason, that showed me a totally different person than what I thought he was. I didn’t see the kid that I thought was defiant and always going against the norm. When I watched him sing that song, I only saw inside his head and I like what I saw. He made me love him for his sincere delivery of a great song. It was as if he himself was truly pleading for the love of his life to not be taken away. Great performance and I don’t believe anyone can “act” all the emotion he has.
Fahd
That instagram photo of the two of them in their outfits is cute, and I do like the gay angle on Jolene. I’m glad Queerty has brought us a “good news” story here for a change, so I want to support it with a click and comment.
LeBlevsez
Dolly Parton is godmother to Miley Cyrus who is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus who sang on a remix of a hit record by Lil Nas X. So Dolly and Nas are step-cousins-in-law once-removed? I would love to see what might come from a collision of these two savants.
Openminded
We have a lot of these kind of “family” collaborations quite often here in Tennessee.
Cam
Love it!