As fans mourn the loss of Dolly Parton, listeners have been rediscovering their favorite Dolly clips, covers, and tribute shows dedicated to the late star. But among Dolly’s career-defining performances, one unlikely live set is making some fans nostalgic and leaving others absolutely heartbroken as they contemplate how Dolly’s death could be affecting her family.
The performance in question is a flashback clip from 2014, featuring Dolly Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus covering “Jolene” from the midst of her notorious Bangerz Tour. Sung during her most reckless era, Miley adds a feral twist to her cover, completely reclaiming the family hit for herself and reinventing it in her own rare light. Clocking up more than 510,000 views to date, Music Man readers can watch Miley Cyrus sing “Jolene” in the viral video below…
Wearing a glittered and checkered shirt and shorts, her iconic “Wrecking Ball” quiff smoothed down flat, the shock of Miley’s 2013 transformation feels totally fresh again; a vast chasm separating this iteration from the classy, A-List queen we know today.
Dueling acoustic guitars lead Miley into a spotless chorus. But as the singer lends her voice to the classic, she refreshes it from its very first line. Rich, gritty vocals serving beauty and angst overwrite Dolly Parton’s original heartbroken ambience. Miley transforms Dolly’s lyrical mood from one of bittersweet helplessness to domination and empowerment, her words like a catfight rather than a plea deal.
Once the verses hit, Miley switches lanes from rock-pop star to country legend, her thick accent adding realism to Dolly’s folk-style lyrics, singing the story as if she’d lived it herself.
Fans wasted no time in noticing how seamlessly Miley’s voice suited this track, with one top commenter beneath this viral vid writing to the tune of more than 550 likes, “I wish Miley would do more country. Her voice is perfect for it.”
Another added, “She has a beautiful country voice,” while another reckoned, “This is one of her best live performances of Jolene for sure.”
But for some viewers, it was Miley’s young age that caught them off guard. One top commenter pinpointed, “It’s almost unbelievable how good Miley was at the age of 22. She is a huge talent.”
And as the Bangerz flashback unfolds, some of Miley’s haters are finally realizing, “All that twerking those years back made me forget how much of a great singer this young lady is! This is beautiful!”
Curious about what Miley Cyrus is up to now? The ex-Hannah Montana star dropped a brand new single with a brand new sound earlier this week, entitled “Bass Persuades,” which Music Man readers can check out in our second video above. This track teases Miley’s upcoming tenth studio album, set for release on September 18th, 2026.