Beyoncé and Dolly Parton’s versions of Jolene represent two sides of southern femininity

Everett Collection Inc/Alamy/Parkwood Entertainment LLC by Kadian Pow, Birmingham City University On her new album, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé puts a new spin on Dolly Parton’s classic song, Jolene. Though the album has achieved critical acclaim and commercial success from the start, it has also attracted some pushback. It’s only natural that Beyoncé’s cover version would be compared to the 1973 original. Some people commenting online were vocal about not liking Beyoncé’s version, often citing its lack of vulnerability when compared to Parton’s version. But is vulnerability essential to the tale of Jolene? There are upwards of 80 covers of Jolene, but Beyoncé’s is a departure from the rest. With significant lyrical changes, an added bridge and the voice of male country singer Willie Jones, the 2024 Jolene has a very different attitude. The Houston native’s Jolene is decidedly Black, and therein lies the crux of the different reactions towards the song. Both versions of Jolene are about dealing with the threat of infidelity. It is important to examine the story Dolly Parton tells on Jolene because it, too, is rooted in her racial and gendered identity as much as Beyoncé’s Jolene is. But whiteness often goes unremarked upon. The country...