Lily Allen’s recent comments about Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, have caused quite a stir among the Texas Hold ‘Em singer’s fanbase. During the latest episode of Miss Me?, the BBC podcast she co-presents with her friend Miquita Oliver, Lily shared her thoughts on the album, which was released last week.
“It’s very weird that [she covered] the most successful songs in that genre,” Lily remarked, referencing Beyoncé’s decision to put her own spin on Dolly Parton’s iconic song, Jolene. Miquita then added, “I feel like Beyoncé could have done a little bit more with it, or maybe picked something that was a little less bait to cover.”
Lily agreed, saying, “I just feel like it’s quite an interesting thing to do when you’re, like, trying to tackle a new genre, and you just choose the biggest song in that genre to cover. I mean, you do you, Beyoncé, and she literally is doing her – or is she doing Dolly?”
However, fans were quick to point out that Dolly Parton herself had been calling for Beyoncé to cover Jolene for many years. In fact, Dolly has already heaped praise on Beyoncé’s reinterpreted cover, while music legend Paul McCartney has also commended her version of The Beatles’ Blackbird, which appears early on in the album.
Despite this, Lily and Miquita’s commentary sparked a debate among fans, with many defending Beyoncé’s choice to cover Jolene. Some even pointed out that Lily herself has tried her hand at country music in the past, both on her single “Not Fair” and on her upcoming fifth album, which she’s currently working on in Nashville.
One fan tweeted, “To answer your question of why Beyoncé would cover Jolene, here is Dolly in 2022,” along with a video of Dolly expressing her desire for Beyoncé to cover the song. Another fan wrote, “Lily Allen is a British lady who thinks she has more authority over the country music genre than Beyoncé… a Texan??? You can’t make this stuff up, man.”
Others also highlighted the fact that Dolly herself has praised Beyoncé’s cover, and that Lily’s comments may have been misinformed. One fan tweeted, “The funniest part about this is that Dolly has been saying on record how much she wants Beyoncé to cover the song. It honestly probably wouldn’t have even happened if it weren’t for Dolly saying it so many times publicly.”
Some fans also pointed out the irony of Lily’s comments, as she herself is currently working on a country album in Nashville. When Miquita mentioned this, Lily clarified, “But I’m not like, trying to conquer the country market. I’m here because I’ve loved country music and always have loved country music – not saying Beyoncé doesn’t – but I tell stories in my songs and quite a lot of country music does the same thing. I think it’s well-suited to what it is that I do.”
Despite the backlash, Lily’s comments may have been taken out of context. In fact, she later tweeted, “I wasn’t saying anything negative about Beyoncé. I was saying that I would have chosen a different song to cover. It was meant to be a compliment.”
Beyoncé’s musical transition for her Cowboy Carter era has been met with critical acclaim and has been in the works for over five years. The album is a testament to her dedication to music and her desire to explore different genres. In an Instagram post, Beyoncé wrote, “This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
She added, “It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history. This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
It’s clear that Bey
