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Beyoncé revamped Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” with a fresh twist on her highly-anticipated album that made its debut on Friday (March 29). The Houston, Texas-born megastar doesn’t beg Jolene, “please don’t take my man,” as Parton sings on the classic 70s anthem.
“I’m warning you, don’t come for my man,” Beyoncé declared in her reimagined version. “Don’t take the chance because you think you can.”
Beyoncé’s “Jolene” appears on her 27-track COWBOY CARTER, the act ii follow-up to RENAISSANCE, which made its debut in 2022. Parton, who has advocated for a Beyoncé version of “Jolene” in recent years, appears on the album — “Dolly P” — delivering a spoken message to Beyoncé comparing “Becky” to “Jolene.” COWBOY CARTER also spotlights Texas-born country legend Willie Nelson (“Smoke Hour” and “Smoke Hour II) and Linda Martell (“The Linda Martell Show” and “Spaghetti”), 82, to the first Black female country artist to play the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Beyoncé’s rendition of “Blackbird,” originally released by The Beatles in the 1960s, features singer-songwriters Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts, whose backing vocals also appear on “Tyrant.” The album also includes tracks with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and other artists.
Beyoncé revealed details about COWBOY CARTER earlier this week, stirring anticipation for “Jolene” and other features on the album. She previously teased “a few surprises” and collaborations with “some brilliant artists who I deeply respect,” and Parton said in a recent interview with Knox News — the East Tennessee-based Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network — that she believed Beyoncé covered “Jolene” on COWBOY CARTER. Marking the 10-day countdown to the album’s debut, Beyoncé shared in a statement that COWBOY CARTER “was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”
- “Ameriican Requiem”
- “Blackbiird” (feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts)
- “16 Carriages”
- “Protector” (feat. Rumi Carter)
- “My Rose”
- “Smoke Hour” (Willie Nelson intro)
- “Texas Hold ‘Em”
- “Bodyguard”
- “Dolly P.” (Dolly Patron intro)
- “Jolene”
- “Daughter”
- “Spaghetti” (feat. Linda Martell and Shaboozey)
- “Alligator Tears”
- “Smoke Hour II” (feat. Willie Nelson)
- “Just For Fun” (feat. Willie Jones)
- “II Most Wanted” (feat. Miley Cyrus)
- “Levii’s jeans” (feat. Post Malone)
- “Flamenco”
- “The Linda Martell Show” (intro by Linda Martell)
- “Ya Ya”
- “Oh Louisiana”
- “Desert Eagle”
- “Riverdance”
- “II Hands II Heaven”
- “Tyrant” (feat. Dolly Parton)
- “Sweet Honey Buckin’ (feat. Shaboozey)
- “Amen”
Beyoncé, who will receive the iHeartRadio Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday (April 1), announced her country-themed album after Usher’s Halftime performance during Super Bowl LVIII. She released two tracks at that time, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and has since made history as the first Black woman to release a single that reached No. 1 on country charts.
“I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound,” Beyoncé said in her recent statement about COWBOY CARTER. “I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE… I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” she continued. “This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
Fans across the country will be able to watch and find out the all the winners of the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards live as the show will be airing live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, April 1st from 8pm-10pm ET live/PT tape-delayed on FOX. The event will also be broadcast on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the free iHeartRadio app. And catch all the action from the Yellow Carpet from your favorite artists this year by tuning in to the iHeartRadio Music Awards - On The Carpet Live! Presented by Otezla at 5:30pm ET/2:30PT via iHeartRadio's YouTube, Twitch and Facebook accounts.
Listen to Beyoncé’s “Jolene” below, and find the full COWBOY CARTER on iHeartRadio here (warning: language).