Beyoncé may be going after Jolene, but somehow Jay-Z keeps catching strays.
The pop star released her reimagined version of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” when she dropped her country-inspired album COWBOY CARTER last week.
Beyoncé introduces “JOLENE” with a clip of Dolly talking called “DOLLY P,” where Dolly calls in to leave a message, saying:
“Hey Mrs. Honeybee, it’s Dolly P. You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when.
Except she has flaming locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.”
That “hussy with the good hair” is a character Beyoncé fans know as “Becky,” who is featured on her 2016 Grammy-nominated Lemonade album, which focused on infidelity in her marriage with her husband Jay-Z (whose real name is Shawn Carter).
Then, it goes straight into “JOLENE,” which is completely rewritten and much more modern than the version Queen Dolly put out in the 70’s. Beyoncé takes a much harder stance when it comes to her “Jolene,” though:
“There’s a thousand girls in every room
That act as desperate as you do
You a bird, go on and sing your tune, Jolene (What?)
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”
Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, has Louisiana Creole heritage, so fans are speculating it might a sort of tribute to her, too, because of this line:
“Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene
I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne (Don’t try me)”
But it’s not just Jolene that has to look out, because now the internet has Jay-Z in their crosshairs – and can’t figure out why Jolene would even want Beyoncé’s man:
Brutal.