"I think this is some of my best work," Parton tells Newsweek, in an exclusive interview ahead of the album's release later this month. "I just wanted to be true to the songs and true to the art form." The album is certainly a departure from Parton's usual country fare, but departures from the norm are actually nothing new for the singer-songwriter.
Parton has made a career of crossing genres, breaking barriers and disrupting traditional ideas about what a country artist, particularly a female one, can be. She pioneered the country-pop crossover with hits like "9 to 5" and "Here You Come Again," and has also ventured into bluegrass, Christian music, disco and now, rock, with musical storytelling often focused on women and female empowerment.
In addition to her musical career, she is an actor, a business mogul and a philanthropist. And she's done it all while insisting, despite industry pressure to change, on staying true to who she is and her personal vision of her career, executed with steely determination encased in rhinestones, big hair, heels, humor and plenty of country charm.
In the process, Parton has paved the way for other country singers, especially women, from Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood to Taylor Swift and her goddaughter Miley Cyrus (who joins "Aunt Dolly" for a moving performance of her signature hit "Wrecking Ball" on the new album), to also venture into other musical genres, to try their hand at acting, to build their business brands and to generally take charge of their own career destinies.
"We're all just trying to be Dolly," Underwood said in a Country Music Television tribute to Parton in 2020. "She is somebody who has set an incredible example for us and paved such a path for us. If there was no Dolly, there would be no us."
This story is from the November 10, 2023 edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 10, 2023 edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Next Phase of War
After thousands of elite soldiers from North Korea joined Vladimir Putin’s forces against Ukraine, how has this latest move affected the conflict?
Saying No to Trump and Men
The election has led some women to boycott relationships and sex
My Fight for Equality and Justice
It will take more than just science to end AIDS. Inclusion, empathy and compassion are essential, too
NEW WORLD ORDER
HOW LEADERS ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE REACTING TO DONALD TRUMP'S REELECTION AS U.S. PRESIDENT
America's Best CONTINUING CARE
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, RESTAURANTstyle dining, unlimited pickleball-an impressive number of amenities are becoming standard at Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
Hey, Don't Be So SAD
Seasonal affective disorder affects millions of people. Here’s how you can prep your body and mind for darker days
Wendi McLendon-Covey
AFTER 10 YEARS OF PLAYING BEVERLY GOLDBERG ON THE GOLDBERGS, Wendi McLendon-Covey was not eager for a break. \"I need to go do a job where I can just throw everything at it and then come home totally exhausted.\"
'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'
Johan \"NOtail\" Sundstein has won over $7 million but says, \"I don't really crave that status.... I play for my own reasons\"
AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025
WHETHER IT'S FOR MEAL PLANS, PROFESSIONAL guidance or access to medications like GLP-1s, weight loss clinics can offer personalized assistance for those hoping to make sustainable lifestyle changes.
AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025
WHETHER IT'S A NEWLY IMAGined sport utility vehicle or the re-emergence of a highly regarded halo car, the vehicles coming to market in 2025 prove that Americans' attitudes about personal transportation are diverse and are being served from all angles.
