Cowboy Carter is already one of the biggest albums of the year.
Beyoncé’s country-inspired album is slated to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart this week, as it’s already moved around 420,000 units, making it easily the biggest debut of the year so far.
And she broke several records before the record was even released, including becoming the first black female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the lead single from the album.
And as of today, Beyoncé’s also officially the first black woman to simultaneously chart multiple songs on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart, as “Texas Hold ‘Em” is currently at #37, while her reimagined rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is sitting at #56.
The U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart is one of two charts labels use to officially track their songs performance, so it looks like Beyoncé is certainly holding her own at country radio right now:
Of course, the aforementioned “Texas Hold ‘Em” became a quick fan-favorite when Bey announced this new album a couple months ago and first released the song, and upon Cowboy Carter’s release last week, “Jolene” has also quickly become another fan-favorite.
It’s nothing like the original, though, and Beyoncé completely redid it in terms of the production, and mostly, the songwriting.
It’s rewritten from top to bottom, aside from the “Jolene” part in the chorus, and Dolly had previously requested that Beyoncé cover her song, though she clearly took some major liberties with it that Dolly herself loves.
Dolly actually introduces the song on Cowboy Carter, calling in to leave a message for Bey, 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:
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… I’m not a Beyoncé expert, though, so I really can’t say one way or the other:
“Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene
I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne (Don’t try me)”
I’m sure Bey pulled inspiration from more than one place, because she really did recreate the entire song, while using the title “Jolene” and interpolating a lot of the original music. You can see what you think about it for yourself and listen here:
“Texas Hold ‘Em”