The concept behind Dolly Parton’s 49th studio album, Rockstar, was born out of the singer’s 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which she was initially hesitant to accept due to her self-identification as, first and foremost, a country music artist. “I’m a rock star now!” Parton joked at the time, and in an ironic twist, proceeded to record an album of rock songs with a host of musical guests from the genre.
Spanning more than two hours, Rockstar comprises nine original tracks and 21 cover songs of rock classics like “Long As I Can See the Light,” featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty, and “Let It Be” with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. The album also finds Parton putting her stamp on more contemporary pop fare like “Wrecking Ball,” originally performed by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus (who’s also featured on the track). Elsewhere, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Stairway to Heaven,” featuring Pink and Lizzo, respectively, split the difference by pairing modern vocalists with iconic rock songs.
To her credit, Parton still manages to make Rockstar sound and feel like a Dolly Parton album, thanks in large part to her distinctive twang. She and producer Kent Wells make some subtle changes to these songs, like a richer and deeper piano tone on Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and denser lead guitar on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” though more inventive arrangements would have distinguished these versions from the originals.
The new songs lean into rockist tropes but don’t feel too conspicuous alongside a mashup of “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You.” The title track, for one, boasts tight electric guitar solos and lyrics told from the perspective of a young aspiring rocker. “I ain’t one for speaking out much,” the famously nonpartisan Parton quips on the anthemic “World on Fire” before lambasting “greedy politicians, present and past.” There’s nothing more “rock ‘n’ roll” than that.
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