American national treasure, Dolly Parton, has released her first-ever rock album called Rockstar, and it features some incredible LGBTQ+ artists.
In 2022, when Dolly was first offered induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the singer, songwriter, author, actress, movie star and theme park owner initially declined, saying, “I figure if I’m going to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m going to have to earn it.”
And so, after over 50 years in the country music industry, she began working on a rock album. The 30-track project is Dolly’s 49th solo record, and it includes a mix of original songs and remakes. Several tracks include collaborations with some iconic rock stars, including Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the ‘Rockstar’ album and I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s finally here to be released! I really had a wonderful time working with all these iconic artists on the record and all these iconic musicians. Not to mention all these great iconic songs that I think everybody will love hearing again. I just hope you enjoy my version of them!”
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The 77-year-old country music star wrote nine original tracks for the album with titles like ‘Rockstar’ and ‘World on Fire’.
Some of the album’s 21 cover songs include remakes of Queen’s ‘We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You’, an 8-minute take on ‘Stairway to Heaven’ featuring Lizzo on her flute, and an unbelievably beautiful rendition of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’.
Best of all, the album offers some incredible collaborations with queer musicians, including a duet of ‘Wrecking Ball’ with her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Other LGBTQ+ artists featured on the record include Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, Rob Halford, Linda Perry, and an unforgettable version of ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ featuring queer icon Brandi Carlile and ally P!nk.
Dolly told Billboard that while she does not plan to make another rock and roll album after this one, she is not opposed to attempting to break into other genres in the future.
Rockstar is now available worldwide on all streaming platforms as well as CD and vinyl.
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