Dolly Parton Defends Beyonce Against Critics of Her ‘Cowboy Carter’ Cover of ‘Jolene’: “I’m Proud of What She Did”

Oh…honey, honey! Beyonce doesn’t need bodyguard when she has big names like Dolly Parton coming to her defense.

Despite the critical (and commercial) acclaim that helped Bey’s latest album, ‘Cowboy Carter,‘ gallop to the top of the Billboard 200 and Country charts, the project was still greeted by a wave of criticism from the genre’s loyalists – many of whom suggested the music megastar’s line dance to Bluegrass-inspired sounds was “gimmicky.”

Tired of the hoopla, Parton – whose classic ‘Jolene‘ was reimagined by the 42-year-old for ‘Cowboy’ – reiterated her approval of the 2024 take on the timeless tune.

Hop inside to see what the Country Queen had to say.

Hot on the promo trail for ‘The Dolly Parton Experience,’ the latest attraction at her famous Smoky Mountain theme park in Tennessee, the 78-year-old took to ‘CBS Mornings‘ on Tuesday (July 9) to dish about the expansion, her ongoing legacy, and so much more.

When quizzed on her thoughts about the mixed critical reception of ‘Jolene,’ Dolly didn’t hesitate to sing Bey’s praises.

“I was proud of what she did,” Parton shared at the 5:42 mark in the video above. “I had not heard it [before the ‘Cowboy Carter’ album dropped] and was assuming it was going to be the traditional way, but when I heard it I thought ‘wow, she put a lot into that.'”

This isn’t the first time Dolly’s made headlines for giving the updated take her stamp of approval. Just last month she spoke glowingly to ‘E! News’ about Bey’s ‘Jolene.’

“Well, I think that was very bold of her,” Parton said at the time. “I love what [Beyonce] did to it. And as a songwriter, you love the fact that people do your songs no matter how they do them.”

Listen to the ‘Cowboy Carter’ rendition of ‘Jolene’ below.