Beyoncé Crowns Dolly Parton as Her Ultimate Benchmark Following 'Cowboy Carter' Success

Queen Bey is giving another music titan her ultimate flowers. Beyoncé took time to publicly salute country royalty Dolly Parton, making it crystal clear how deeply the veteran superstar inspired her record-shattering 2024 album *Cowboy Carter*. Reflecting on Parton's decades of dominance in the music industry, the "Texas Hold 'Em" singer showered the "9 to 5" icon with massive praise. Beyoncé crowned Parton as the definitive benchmark for female songwriters and performers everywhere, pointing out that the legend established the gold standard long before *Cowboy Carter* ever topped the global charts. According to reports, Beyoncé shared her adoration directly, calling Parton a true guiding light who showed artists how to control their own masterworks and tell authentic stories without compromise. ## Did Beyoncé remake Dolly Parton Jolene on Cowboy Carter The creative bond between the two powerhouses became one of the biggest pop-culture moments of the year. When *Cowboy Carter* arrived in early 2024, fans immediately gravitated toward Beyoncé's bold reinvention of Parton's timeless 1973 classic, "Jolene." Rather than sticking to the original song's desperate and pleading tone, Beyoncé flipped the script entirely. Her updated rendition transformed the track into a fierce, protective warning to anyone threatening her marriage. Parton gave the dramatic lyric changes her full stamp of approval, even providing a spoken-word intro titled "Dolly P" to introduce the updated track on the album. ## What did Beyoncé say about Dolly Parton Beyoncé emphasized that Parton's trailblazing career opened doors for cross-genre experiments to thrive. By pushing boundaries across pop, country, and film, Parton proved that female acts do not have to stay confined to a single box. Beyoncé noted that Parton's fearlessness served as a vital reference point while constructing her own massive project. The love between the icons remains entirely mutual. Parton has frequently spoken out in praise of Beyoncé's foray into country sounds, celebrating how the Houston-born star introduced a whole new generation of global listeners to the genre's rich history.