Dolly Parton gave a shoutout to Beyoncé and her fans a day ahead of the latter's release of her new country album, Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé surprised the world when she dropped two country songs on February 11, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages." She later revealed the album would be released March 29 and is about the roots of the country genre and Black people's involvement in it.
Before Beyoncé's revelation, Parton had hinted that she would be covering Parton's song "Jolene" on the album. The 1973 hit is one of Parton's most popular songs, and Rolling Stone ranked it No. 63 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
"Well, I think she has," Parton told the Knoxville News Sentinel in early March, speaking about the rumors that Beyoncé had covered the song. "I think she's recorded 'Jolene,' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that."
On Wednesday, Beyoncé dropped the track listing for the album, which includes "Jolene." Cowboy Carter will also feature a Parton-themed song called "Dolly P," but it's not known whether the country star herself will appear on the track.
Following that release, Parton took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a photo of the track listing alongside the cover art for the original "Jolene" single. She told fans to do their homework ahead of the release.
"Listen to my original 'Jolene' while you wait for @Beyonce's COWBOY CARTER - Dolly P," Parton captioned the post.
Earlier this month, Beyoncé spoke about why she wanted to do a country-inspired album.
"This album has been over five years in the making. It 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," she wrote on Instagram.
She was likely referring to her performance with the Chicks at the Country Music Association Awards in 2016. Her invitation to sing at the event was widely criticized.
Parton has supported Beyoncé's foray into country music, even though some country radio stations have refused to play her songs and many have complained about her new style. Parton celebrated when Beyoncé became the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on the country charts with "Texas Hold 'Em."
"I'm a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she's done a country album," Parton wrote on Instagram. "So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single."
Cowboy Carter is the second act of Beyoncé's three-act project. The first was her Renaissance album, the subsequent tour and a record-breaking concert film. That album was a tribute to house music and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, which gave rise to the dance style known as voguing.
It is not known what her third act will be or when there will be an album release.
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