{"id":2213743,"date":"2024-04-05T12:06:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T16:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/beyonce-misses-the-point-with-forgettable-jolene-cover\/"},"modified":"2024-04-05T12:06:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T16:06:24","slug":"beyonce-misses-the-point-with-forgettable-jolene-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/beyonce-misses-the-point-with-forgettable-jolene-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyonc\u00e9&#8217;s &#8216;Jolene&#8217; Cover Falls Short of Expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbeyonce-misses-the-point-with-forgettable-jolene-cover%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2213743&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Beyonc\u00e9&#8217;s cover of Dolly Parton&#8217;s &#8220;Jolene&#8221; in \u200dher Cowboy Carter album stirred controversy by altering the original vulnerability to\u2064 aggression. \u2064Despite mixed reviews on the change, Parton publicly supported Beyonc\u00e9&#8217;s rendition. Various \u200ccritics found the\u2063 cover forgettable, \u2062while some\u200b felt it \u200dlacked the emotional\u200b depth\u2062 of the original version, sparking discussions about the essence of the song&#8217;s message.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot has been said about Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s new Cowboy Carter album, and even more about her decision to put her own spin on the classic Dolly Parton single, \u201cJolene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s not the first time a modern artist has covered the song and it likely won\u2019t be the last. The controversy, then, lies in how the Grammy Award-winning singer chose to change the meaning. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fans call it a triumph, insisting it\u2019s an example of Beyonc\u00e9 refusing to play the victim to a would-be man stealer. Others claim the vulnerability was the point of the song. These critics can\u2019t help but question: if Beyonce didn\u2019t agree with the central message in \u201cJolene,\u201d why didn\u2019t she just write a new song?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This seems like a silly question in today\u2019s era of remakes, reboots, and never-ending franchises. True originality is a rare commodity in the music industry, but for someone with as many accolades and devotees as Beyonc\u00e9, one could argue that there isn\u2019t a better place for it to come from. The \u201cSingle Ladies\u201d singer didn\u2019t have to worry about dealing with a woman with \u201cflaming locks of auburn hair\u201d when fans have been talking about \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/beyonce-and-becky-with-the-good-hair-what-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Becky with the good hair<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d since 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The original \u201cJolene\u201d was written and recorded by Parton in 1973. It was named Rolling Stone magazine\u2019s 500 greatest songs of all time and has been covered by many artists over the years with varying degrees of success. The single was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in both 1975 and 1976.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_719441\" style=\"width: 395px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-719441\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard E. Aaron\/Redferns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parton said the song was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/features\/glastonbury-2014-so-whos-jolene-9574451.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">inspired by<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  a red-headed bank employee who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, when they were first married. She took the name \u201cJolene\u201d from a fan encounter. Throughout the lyrics, Parton pleads with a beautiful woman not to \u201csteal her man\u201d just because \u201cshe can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cYou could have your choice of men\/but I will never love again,\u201d Parton pleads. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main criticism with Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s cover is how she changes the entire meaning from vulnerability to aggression. The newest version\u2019s main character doesn\u2019t plead with Jolene, but rather threatens her with harm if she tried to steal away the man in question.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cJolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene\/I\u2019m warning you, don\u2019t come for my man\/Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene\/Don\u2019t take the chance because you think you can,\u201d Beyonc\u00e9 sings in the intro.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And while the \u201cCrazy In Love\u201d singer concedes that her competition has \u201cbeauty beyond compare,\u201d she still claims that\u2019s not enough to persuade her man away. \u201cTakes more than beauty and seductive stares\/To come between a family and a happy man,\u201d Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s lyrics say. \u201cJolene, I\u2019m a woman too\/Th\u0435 games you play are nothing new\/So you don\u2019t want no h\u0435at with me, Jolene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_719439\" style=\"width: 817px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-719439\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin Winter\/Getty Images for iHeartRadio<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meanwhile, Parton admits in her version that her man is being tempted to stray. \u201cHe talks about you in his sleep\/And there\u2019s nothin\u2019 I can do to keep\/From cryin\u2019 when he calls your name, Jolene,\u201d Parton\u2019s version says. \u201cAnd I can easily understand\/How you could easily take my man\/But you don\u2019t know what he means to me, Jolene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyonc\u00e9 tells her rival things aren\u2019t so simple. \u201cWe\u2019ve been deep in love for 20 years\/I raised that man, I raised his kids\/I know my man better than he knows himself (what),\u201d she sings. \u201cI can easily understand why you\u2019re attracted to my man\/But you don\u2019t want this smoke, so shoot your shot with someone else (you heard me).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Later, Beyonc\u00e9 calls herself a \u201cqueen\u201d and issues her final warning. \u201cI\u2019m still a Creole banjee b*tch from Louisianne (don\u2019t try me)\/There\u2019s a thousand girls in every room\/That act as desperate as you do\/You a bird, go on and sing your tune, Jolene (what),\u201d she sings. \u201cI had to have this talk with you\/\u2018Cause I hate to have to act a fool\/Your peace depends on how you move, Jolene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even though the whole meaning of the song is changed with Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s version, Parton has been publicly supportive. She said as much on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DollyParton\/status\/1773785045230030897\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  on March 29, the same day as \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d was released. \u201cWow, I just heard Jolene. Beyonc\u00e9 is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!\u201d the country music legend wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"qme\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2764\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6hRpwERG8O\">pic.twitter.com\/6hRpwERG8O<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DollyParton\/status\/1773785045230030897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mainstream critics mostly saw the \u201cJolene\u201d cover as harmless but forgettable. The Washington Post reviewer <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/entertainment\/music\/2024\/03\/30\/beyonce-cowboy-carter-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">described<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  the single as a \u201clower-hanging tribute\u201d while Rolling Stone <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-album-reviews\/beyonce-cowboy-carter-review-1234996919\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  it was \u201ccheeky and humorous \u2026 even if it doesn\u2019t add much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slate critic Carl Wilson addressed the most obvious criticism, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/culture\/2024\/03\/beyonce-cowboy-carter-album-review-country.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">saying<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  that removing the pleading and insecurity kills the essence of the message.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhy do \u2018Jolene\u2019 if you\u2019re going to remove the most unique and powerful element of the song, that the narrator is baring her vulnerability and asking the mercy of her rival? That\u2019s something that a post-Lemonade Beyonc\u00e9 could never do, so she reduces it to a generic boast track about the greatness of her own marriage,\u201d he wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daily Wire podcast hosts had similar problems with Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s version of \u201cJolene.\u201d As Matt Walsh <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/episode\/ep-1337-the-most-anti-christian-president-in-history-declares-easter-transgender-day-of-visibility-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  on his April 1 show, \u201cWhat makes this song unique and interesting, which has caused it to resonate over the five decades since it\u2019s been made, is the vulnerability, and the heartbreak, and the longing in the lyrics and the performance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He described the woman in Parton\u2019s song as \u201cinsecure, fearful\u201d and \u201cdesperately in love with a man who she believes she cannot afford to lose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Walsh said the insecurity of the main character in Parton\u2019s song is what makes her so relatable. The fact that Beyonc\u00e9 chose to strip it away made the song demonstrably worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cJust when you think that Beyonc\u00e9 might be growing ever so slightly as an artist and a person, she proves you wrong,\u201d the podcast host added. \u201cIt turns out she has taken this song full of pain and yearning and emotional honesty and turned it into yet another mediocre girl boss anthem. She has, in other words, taken everything that makes the song great and replaced it with everything that makes modern pop music terrible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Walsh goes on to argue that if the beautiful woman in the song isn\u2019t a worry because Beyonc\u00e9 is such a perfect, incomparable queen, then the tension and longing in the song is gone, rendering the whole message emotionless and pointless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daily Wire host Michael Knowles went even deeper, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/episode\/ep-1458-the-trans-day-of-visibility1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">saying<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  that Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cJolene\u201d was a statement on how modern society views marriage, divorce, and starting over after two decades of marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWomen have a special power,\u201d Knowles says. \u201cThey have a seductive power to them. That\u2019s real. You gotta be on guard, if you\u2019re the wife, if you\u2019re Dolly Parton, or if you\u2019re the husband. We deny all this though. We deny it at our peril. Is it any wonder that the thing that\u2019s supposed to be protected, the marriage, the family, is falling apart?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beyonc\u00e9&#8217;s new Cowboy Carter album sparked debate with her rendition of Dolly Parton&#8217;s &#8220;Jolene.&#8221; While not the first artist to cover the classic, her take has provoked discussions. The intrigue revolves around her interpretation of the iconic song<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":2213744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-2131596426.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2213743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-2131596426.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/345"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2213743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2213744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2213743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2213743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2213743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}