Earlier this year, Beyoncè made the leap from pop and R&B music to country music. In March, the singer released her country album titled “COWBOY CARTER.”
The album featured several established country artists, and a few legends. Willie Nelson’s and Dolly Parton’s voices were featured on the album.
And Parton also allowed Beyoncé to record her hit song “Jolene” for the album.
In a June interview with E! News, Parton said she thought “it was very bold of” Beyoncé to switch up the iconic “Jolene” lyrics. “When they said she was gonna do ‘Jolene,’ I expected it to be my regular one, but it wasn’t,” she told E!
Albeit surprised, Parton admitted she “loved what she did to it. You love the fact that people do your songs no matter how they do them.”
Now, in an interview with Variety, Parton is sharing her thoughts on Beyoncé’s album not receiving any CMA nominations despite “COWBOY CARTER” being eligible. “Well, you never know,” Parton admitted when it comes to nominations.
“There’s so many wonderful country artists,” she continued, “that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that.”
However, Parton didn’t realize “COWBOY CARTER” didn’t receive any CMA nominations until after she was asked about it. “It was a wonderful album she can be very, very proud of,” Parton said.
“I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good. So I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose,” she continued telling Variety.
“I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album.”
Nonetheless, Parton says she thinks it is great that artists like Beyoncè and Post Malone, who she partnered with on his album, “F-1 Trillion,” are finding their country roots.
“She’s a country girl in Texas and Louisiana,” Parton said of Beyoncé, “so she grew up with that base. It wasn’t like she just appeared out of nowhere.”
“Post Malone has loved country music his whole life, and then I got to do the duet with him on his album, and I think it’s a fantastic album. I thought both those albums were great.”
And as for if she and Beyoncé will ever perform “Jolene” live together, Parton says, “Oh yeah. I’m open to anything.”