Get the latest gossip

Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’: 10 Best Covers

We look at covers and reimaginings of "Jolene" from artists including Beyonce, The White Stripes and Mindy Smith.

Hundreds of artists have offered up their own renditions of the song— the most recent being musical powerhouse Beyoncé, who included a more steely-eyed, daring reimagination of the song, with revamped lyrics, on her new album Act II: Cowboy Carter. In 2021, “Old Town Road” hitmaker Lil Nas X included a cover of the song during his performance on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. On her new album Act II: Cowboy Carter, Queen Bey doesn’t simply pay homage to Parton by doing a straightforward cover of “Jolene.” She invites Parton to intro the song with a spoken-word moment, then flips the pleading lyrics of the original “Jolene,” instead offering up a sinister, protective warning shot for any woman who would dare try to break up the family that she has poured decades into building.

Get the Android app