When Lil Nas X first took the music industry by storm with his viral “Old Town Road” track, people didn’t know whether it should be classified as country or hip-hop music. The song originally appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts in 2019, before being quietly excluded from the country genre. Now reclaiming his country crossover, Lil Nas X takes on a cover by the Queen Of Country herself, Dolly Parton.
Lil Nas X appeared on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge for a series of filmed performances. Not only did he perform a handful of songs from his recently released debut album Montero, like “That’s What I Want,” “Dead Right Now,” and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name), but he also gave a mesmerizing rendition of Parton’s “Jolene.” Complete with a slight southern drawl and a few backup singers, Lil Nas X’s rendition of the 1974 track stays faithful to Parton’s original version.
Ahead of taking the Live Lounge stage, Lil Nas X raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity in a very clever way. After joking he was “pregnant” with his debut album, the musician shared a “baby registry” that was a list of non-profit organizations his fans could donate to. Bro In Convo, an organization that supports Black, gay, bisexual, and queer men, reportedly received over $33,000 in donations from Lil Nas X’s registry.
Watch Lil Nas X cover “Jolene” above.
Montero is out now via Columbia. Get it here.