Dolly Parton has nothing but love for the world's biggest country pop stars: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
In a new interview with Variety Posted on Tuesday (September 17), the 78-year-old country legend blasted both superstars as well as the CMA Awards snubbing Bey's Cowboy Carter this season. “Taylor Swift is amazing what she's done with her career,” he said of the “Anti-Hero” singer, who started out as a country artist before transitioning to pop in 2014. “I just admire her so much and how she handles. her business, her personal life and what this means to so many young people. [She’s] it was a great inspiration.”
As for the “Texas Hold'Em” musician, Parton believes Cowboy Carter — which featured a vocal recording from the “9 to 5” artist, as well as Bey's cover of “Jolene” — is an “awesome album” she was “lucky” to be a part of. “[Beyoncé’s] a country girl in Texas and Louisiana, so she grew up with that foundation,” Parton said. “It wasn't like he just appeared out of nowhere.”
Even so, Parton believes the CMAs — which she angered fans on Sept. 9 by failing to recognize Cowboy Carter in any of the 2024 categories — didn't necessarily exclude the Destiny's Child alum “on purpose.” “There are so many great country artists that, I guess probably the country music scene, they probably thought, 'Well, we can't really leave out some of them who spend their whole lives doing this,'” Parton said in the report . “I don't think it was a matter of, like, doing it on purpose. I think it was more of what the country charts and country artists were doing, not just a special album.”
“But it was a great album,” Parton added. “She can be very, very proud … I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that was a good thing.”
The 10-time Grammy winner also added that she's “open to anything” when it comes to performing “Jolene” with Beyoncé at some point in the future. And whether it's the “Break My Soul” singer or Swift — or any of the younger hit singers like Chappell Roan or Sabrina Carpenter — Parton says she's “proud of all the girls.”
“I'm old enough to feel like their aunt or someone who looks down and says, 'Yeah, go away!'” she added. “I think they're all great in their own way.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/dolly-parton-taylor-swift-beyonce-cowboy-carter-cmas-snub-1235778512/
