Dolly Parton may have the inside track of what Beyoncé has planned for her upcoming country music album.
The 78-year-old country music superstar revealed that she believes a new rendition of her 1973 classic “Jolene” will appear on “Act II,” scheduled for release March 29.
“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about,” she told Knox News of the former Destiny’s Child frontwoman. “I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
As with all of Beyoncé’s music projects, the contents of the eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s “Renaissance” are top secret. She surprisingly dropped two new songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” following Super Bowl LVIII last month.
Shortly after its release, “Texas Hold ‘Em” led the 32-time Grammy Award winner to become the first Black woman artist to ever top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, according to Rolling Stone.
The co-penned track, which generated controversy at country radio stations, also topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé’s ninth No. 1 song as a solo artist on the chart.
As far as “Jolene” is concerned, Parton is the sole songwriter on the country music staple begging a beautiful woman not to steal a man. Many artists have covered the song over the past 50 years — most recently, hip hop superstar Lil Nas X, Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus and vocal powerhouse Wendy Moten.
Like with Whitney Houston’s blockbuster cover of “I Will Always Love You,” which she also wrote, the 10-time Grammy Award winner stands to land a windfall of cash if Beyoncé takes on “Jolene.”
Parton reportedly earned $10 million in royalties for “The Bodyguard” star’s 1992 version of the 1973 ballad, and is still cashing in from the recording today.
