Lil Nas X performs a cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene

Publish date: 2024-07-29

Lil Nas X has collaborated with Billy Ray Cyrus and dueted with his daughter, Miley Cyrus. Now, he's rounding out the family tree by covering a classic hit from Dolly Parton (Miley Cyrus' godmother, for those not in the know.)

Performing in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge to celebrate his new album Montero, Nas sang a soulful rendition of Parton's 1973 hit, putting his own spin on the song with the aid of a small band and a sequined microphone. And although his performance came as a surprise to most, the singer stealthily hinted the performance earlier this week, writing on Twitter "I now have a song with Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, I will not rest until I've collected every Cyrus stone to harness the ultimate power."

Well played, Lil Nas X.

So, does this mean that we can expect a future Nas/Parton collaboration — something fans have been asking for — in the future? Nas covering "Jolene" is certainly a step in the right direction, and the country icon has made it no secret that she's a fan of his work. In 2019, she told Elle she was "so happy" for the success of his song "Old Country Road," and that she actually had the opportunity to work on that song with him but ended up deciding against it due to the fact it had already been released and remixed with other artists, including BTS, Lil Wayne, and Diplo.

"It had done so well with so many people. I thought, 'Well, I'll wait and do something later on. No point in going down that same Old Town Road. We got other roads to travel," she told the magazine.

Montero, which debuted last week, is named after Nas' real moniker Montero Lamar Hill and marks the 22-year-old's first full-length album. EW gave the album an A- in its review, writing that "Montero succeeds, at times wildly, because of the way it bridges the gap between Lil Nas X the persona and Montero Hill the person. It sounds larger than life even on the smallest speakers and its guest stars demand white-glove service, but the feelings it describes over its 15 tracks are keenly described and made even more acute by the detail lurking within its arena-ready music."

Watch Lil Nas X's performance of "Jolene" below.

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