Dolly Parton is in the rock era, and she’s ready to be the champion of the genre. To that end, she shared her cover of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” on Friday as the latest single from her forthcoming, aptly titled album, rock star.
With an energetic, guitar-driven arrangement reminiscent of Queen’s original 1977 version, Parton’s rendition of the song is stadium-ready. At 77, she still soars to the tune of the national anthem with goosebump-inducing strength. Combine that with some nasal wit she adds to her lyrics about how fame and fortune “don’t quite go your way,” and the song’s insight is taken to a new level.
Parton also ends the song with a brief “We Will Rock You” — with legendary beats, crowd chants and some Parton riffing, leaving no doubt that she does rock you. Listen to the song below.
“We Are the Champions” was the fourth single rock star, which will be released generally on November 17 through Parton’s Butterfly Records and Big Machine Label Group. The album featured nine new original songs, plus a slew of rock covers and an insane list of guest stars. It was inspired by Parton’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. “I think I’m a rock star now!” she declared in her acceptance speech. Pre-orders for the album are underway.
In May, Parton released the album’s lead single, “World on Fire,” her most political song to date, a warning about the state of the world. Last month, she shared two more singles: “Bygones,” a new single featuring Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, and a cover of Heart’s “Magic Man,” featuring Ann Wilson herself.
All of this seems like a lot of activity for someone of Parton’s age, but she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. She recently revealed that she has no plans to retire, explaining that she would rather “die one day mid-sing on stage”.
