Year: 2024

Beyoncé’s highly anticipated new album Cowboy Carter is out now, and one of the most talked-about tracks early on is Bey’s new rendition of the Dolly Parton classic “Jolene.” Notably, Beyoncé took some creative liberties with the song that represent a significant transformation.

How Are Beyoncé’s “Jolene” And Dolly Parton’s Original Version Different?

Here are the lyrics to the opening chorus in Parton’s version, followed by Beyoncé’s (all lyrics via Genius):

“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him just because you can.”

“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man (Jolene)
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Don’t take the chance because you think you can.”

The differences here are subtle but represent a significant tonal shift: While Parton’s lyrics are a plea, Beyoncé’s are more of a warning, a demand. Beyoncé doubles down on the assertiveness in a different version of the chorus later in the song:

“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m warnin’ you, woman, find you your own man
Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene
I’m still a Creole banjee b*tch from Louisianne (Don’t try me).”

The shift from meagerness to self-confidence is the primary shift throughout the song, like on the first verses of both versions. Here’s Parton’s, then Beyoncé’s:

“Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene.”

“You’re beautiful, beyond compare
Takes more than beauty and seductive stares
To come between a family and a happy man
Jolene, I’m a woman, too
Thе games you play are nothing new
So you don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene
We’ve been deep in love for 20 years
I raised that man, I raised his kids
I know my man better than he knows himself (Yeah, what?)
I can easily understand
Why you’re attracted to my man
But you don’t want this smoke, so shoot your shot with someone else (You heard me).”

So, stated simply, the lyrical difference between the two renditions is that Parton’s is defensive while Beyoncé’s is more on the attack.

Listen to Beyoncé’s version above and Parton’s below.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood/Columbia Records. Find more information here.

We are just a week out from Bryson Tiller‘s upcoming self-titled fourth studio album. Tonight (March 29), the R&B superstar shared the tracklist for the album.

On the album are collaborations with Victoria Monét and Clara La San, but most of the songs have no features. With a self-titled album, fans are left guessing what the theme could be. But with track titles like “Http://,” “Random Access Memory (RAM),” it appears the album will have a digital theme. Which is fitting, as Tiller hinted that he may begin exploring new avenues.

“I just wanna take a hiatus ’cause my number one passion is video games,” said Tiller in a recent interview with Complex. “I’ve been designing a game for the past three years. I’ve been looking into internships with different companies.”

Tiller’s album was executive produced by himself and Charlie Heat.

You can see the full Bryson Tiller tracklist below.

1. “Http://”
2. “Attention”
3. “Stay Gold”
4. “Persuasion” Feat. Victoria Monét
5. “Ciao!”
6. “Peace Interlude”
7. “Rich Boy”
8. “Random Access Memory (RAM)” Feat. Clara La San
9. “No Thank You”
10. “Find My Way”
11. “Prize”
12. “Waterfalls”
13. “Aeon Lust”
14. “Calypso”
15. “Outside”
16. “Outside”
17. “F4U”
18. “Assume The Position”
19. “Whatever She Wants (Bonus)”

Bryson Tiller is out 4/5 via Trapsoul/RCA Records. Find more information here.

IDK and Joey Badass have teamed up for a braggadocious new collab we never knew we needed. Tonight (March 29), the East Coast heavy hitters have shared “Denim,” the smooth yet opulent new track.

On “Denim,” IDK and Joey celebrate their accomplishments, reaping the well-earned fruits of their labor. IDK sets the scene, inviting us into the home of his dreams.

“Sittin’ on cloud nine, but it’s really my couch / Pierre Jeanneret’s, the original ones / Not the one’s they get for five hundred to dress up their house / I’m single, boy, single boy / No girl or no spouse / Crib be quiet as a mouse,” IDK raps.

Joey matches IDK’s luxurious energy, ruminating on having earned the life he’s worked very hard for.

“Sittin’ on your whole year, but it’s really my couch / Pierre Paulin’s, this the original one / Cost fifty bands, all in, just to put in my house / The replica like fifteen, you can check the amount / If we ain’t talkin’ money, IDK, what we talkin’ about?,” Joey raps.

The song’s accompanying video sees the two rapping inside of a lovely, furnished home, juxtaposed with scenes of the two moving to the beat in an outdoor Paris setting.

You can see the video for “Denim” above.

Two Florida women are the biggest rappers in the game right now. Tonight (March 29), Doechii teamed up with JT of City Girls for “Alter Ego,” their instantly intoxicating new collaboration.

The song features a prominent sample of “Show Me Love” by Robin S., and Doechii rides the beat with ease. Showcasing her versatility, Doechii offers mind-blowing examples of her quick-witted bars and her catchy screaming chorus.

JT pops in with a verse that feels timely, as she is currently on a solo tour. Rumors have also been going around that the future of City Girls is uncertain. But amid all the gossip, JT remains “unfazed, unbothered, and unf*ckwithable.”

Doechii and JT first teased the collaboration in a conversation with Interview Magazine. JT admitted that rapping over this type of beat and creating a dance floor record was a new challenge for her, but she’s proud of how the song turned out.

“[W]hen you sent me the record, girl, I was like, ‘What the f*ck? She think I can make a song like this?’ But thank you for challenging me,” JT said. “I’m very hesitant when I make music. I’m a perfectionist. I want that sh*t to sound good when I send it back.”

You can listen to “Alter Ego” above.

Two Texas legends have teamed up in stylish southern fashion. Tonight (March 29), Beyoncé dropped her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, which features some festive collaborations. On a steamy song called “Levii’s Jeans,” Bey and Post Malone turn up the heat in their favorite denim garments.

“Levii’s Jeans” is full of sexy metaphors, as Bey sings “Boy, I’ll let you be my Levi’s jeans / So you can hold that ass all day long / Call me your sexy little thing / Snap a picture, bring it on.”

Posty chimes in with some southern twang, ruminating over a long-distance lover, and how they’re going to spend the time together once they reunite.

“Rodeo in your room, that’s you, break zoom, sweet perfect timin’ / Love it when you tease me in them jeans, girl, you don’t need designer / And when that thing gon’ hide your plane, baby girl, you the pilot / And I ram along, I could go on, but I’m goin’ on sight,” sings Posty.

The song arrives as an early contender for song of the summer, and is enough to put the unspoken beef between Dallas and Houston to rest.

You can listen to “Levii’s Jeans” above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood and Columbia Records. Find more information here.

At long last, a Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus collaboration has come to fruition. Tonight (March 29), Bey dropped her county-influenced eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, which features a duet with Cyrus called “II Most Wanted.”

On this cinematic ballad, Bey and Miley ruminate on their lovers, romanticizing making an escape, to a land where there are no laws, just love — delivering a country-pop anthem for passenger princesses everywhere.

“I’ll be your shotgun rider ’til the day I die / Smoke out the window flyin’ down the 405 / Yeah, I’ll be your backseat baby, drivin’ you crazy / Anytime you like / Woah, I’ll be your shotgun rider ’til the day I til the day I die,” the two sing on the song’s chorus.

While a Bey and Cyrus collab may sound like a wildcard, both of their voices sync up well, with Cyrus giving Bey’s strong melodies some sweet, sugary harmonies. Over the course, both artists have showcased their versatility and their affinity to explore new sounds. Both the Beyhive and the Smilers have been itching for the two to collab for over a decade, and “II Most Wanted” arrives at just the right time.

You can listen to “II Most Wanted” above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood and Columbia Records. Find more information here.

With her new album Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé proudly taps into her southern roots, delivering a beautiful collection of country-inspired songs. From the very beginning, Bey sets the scene with “American Requiem,” a gorgeous intro hammering home the foundation of her craft — before anything else, Beyoncé is a Texas girl.

On a particularly memorable verse of the song, Bey addresses criticisms she faced early on in her career, as many noted that she had a strong southern accent. She also recalls being told she didn’t fit into the country landscape — presumably after the release of “Daddy Lessons” from her 2016 album, Lemonade.

“They used to say I spoke, ‘Too country’ / Then the rejection came, said I wasn’t, ‘Country enough’ / Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but / If that ain’t country, tell me, what is? / Tread my bare feet on solid ground for years / They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this,” she sings.

In an Instagram post from earlier this month, Bey noted that her Cowboy Carter album 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.”

Needless to say, Bey just changed the game.

You can listen to “American Requiem” above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood and Columbia Records. Find more information here.

On her newest album Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé takes on a country classic. Following much buzz, Cowboy Carter features a new version of Dolly Parton’s iconic anthem, “Jolene.” But this time, the Queen Bey ain’t messing around.

Bey’s version of “Jolene” features some notable lyric chance, warning a trifling woman to stay away from her man.

“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m warnin’ you, woman, find you your own man / Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene / I’m still a Creole banjee b*tch from Louisiana,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

On Parton’s version, Parton tells the song’s subject “my happiness depends on you,” but Bey warns this woman that in her book, it’s the other way around.

“I had to have this talk with you / ‘Cause I hate to have to act the fool / Your peace depends on how you move, Jolene,” sings Bey.

On the Cowboy Carter tracklist, this new version of “Jolene” is preceded by an interlude called “Dolly P,” featuring Parton herself, leaving a comforting voicemail to Bey.

“Hey miss Honey B, it’s Dolly P,” says Parton. “You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminding me of someone I knew back when Except she has flamin’ locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color but it hurts just the same.”

You can listen to “Dolly P” and Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene” above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood and Columbia Records. Find more information here.

The power of manifestation is real. Tonight (March 29), Beyoncé dropped Cowboy Carter, her eighth studio album. On the album are some pretty promising collaborations, one of them being Tanner Adell — the self-proclaimed “Beyoncé with a lasso.”

The artists collaborated on a cover of “Blackbird” by The Beatles (stylized as “Blackbiird” on the album’s tracklist). The song’s lyrics are perfectly fitting for the timing of this collab, as Bey and Adell sing “All your life, you were only waiting / For this moment to arise.”

Adell has long cited Beyoncé as one of her biggest inspirations. Last year, in an interview with Country Now, Adell said a collaboration with Bey would be her dream.

“I really love Beyoncé, so I would love to do a big Beyoncé country moment with dance,” Adell said. “Obviously, I dance too, so I would be over the moon doing something with her.”

Even before the reveal of the collaboration, Adell began dropping hints about the collab as early as Super Bowl Sunday, when Bey released “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”

“As one of the only black girls in country music scene, i hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic for a collab,” said Adell in a tweet, likely having already recorded the song.

Little did we know, they would soon rock our world — with the help of Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts, whose harmonies are simply gorgeous.

You can listen to “Blackbiird” above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood and Columbia. Find more information here.

The Boston Celtics very well might be the best team in the NBA, and yet, they’re running into quite the problem: Figuring out how to beat the Atlanta Hawks in March while Trae Young is out injured. Earlier this week, Atlanta came back from 30 points down to pick up a 120-118 win over the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference.

A few days later and history didn’t quite repeat itself, but once again, the Hawks picked up a thrilling win over the Celtics. While neither team led by as many points as Boston did on Monday, it was a back-and-forth affair that saw Atlanta come out on top, 123-122, behind a ridiculous night from Dejounte Murray. With Young sidelined, Murray had a career-high 44 points on 18-for-44 shooting with seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block, along with the game-winning shot with 0.01 seconds remaining.

Boston actually had a chance to win, as a timeout advanced the ball into the frontcourt. Derrick White ended up making a shot, but there was just one problem: Since he was the inbounder on the play, it did not count, and possession went right back to the Hawks.

With the win, the Hawks became the first team to beat Boston twice this season.