Beyoncé Teases A Dolly Parton Cover On Cowboy Carter

Giddy up, y’all — Beyoncé is about to put the cowboy in Cowboy Carter. On March 27, just two days before the release of her new album, the singer seemingly unveiled the tracklist and teases a new rendition of a Dolly Parton classic.

As seen in a graphic posted to her Instagram, Beyoncé seems to be covering Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene.” It’s possible that Parton is also featured on the album, as the image contains a shoutout to “Dolly P.” However, it’s unclear whether that’s confirmation of a collab, an entirely separate song title, or simply a nod to the “Jolene” cover.

While it’s not confirmed whether every name and phrase on Bey’s graphic is a song title (or perhaps a possible interlude), each word likely represents one of the themes or even a specific lyric on Cowboy Carter. Needless to say, the Beyhive have their magnifying glasses out, examining some of the most intriguing titles, including “II Most Wanted,” “Spaghettii,” and “Flamenco.”

Elsewhere on the album, Beyoncé seems to be featuring another country legend, Willie Nelson, on a track called “Smoke Hour,” and paying tribute to a Black country pioneer with “The Linda Martell Show.” Fans also suspect she may be covering The Beatles’ “Blackbird” — stylized as “Blackbiird” in a nod to Cowboy Carter being “act ii” of her three-act project.

Parton previously teased that Bey may have incorporated “Jolene” on Cowboy Carter. “I think she's recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about,” she told Knox News on March 11. “I love her! She's a beautiful girl and a great singer.”

The country icon also congratulated Bey when “Texas Hold Em’” topped the Hot Country Songs chart, making her the first Black female artist to do so. “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” she wrote on Instagram. “So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country No. 1 single. Can’t wait to hear the full album! Love, Dolly.”