Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

Dolly loved it.

Dolly has class beyond measure. Doesn't mean anything about the song performance one way or the other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

Dolly loved it.

Dolly loves everything and every one.

You never hear a critical word from dolly about anyone.

Except Jolene.

I just listened to her version of Blackbird and realized... wow. She cannot sing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

Dolly loved it.

Dolly is Dolly. Do you honestly think you would hear an opinion from her other than “yeah, it’s great!” Come on.

This. Dolly doesn’t publicly give negative opinions on anything.

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

I was mulling whether to give it one listen, but thanks for letting me know I shouldn't.

I don't listen to Beyonce otherwise - I might possibly have heard one of her songs at some point on radio or at a bar, but I wouldn't know.

Jolene is a special song to me because my cousin and I used to listen to it as kids and we made up a whole dance to it one time during a visit together. I would hate for the song to be ruined for me by this cover version, which I've read about and I don't like the mood she injected into the song with her 'watch out or I'll whoop your a** if you touch my man' approach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

Dolly loved it.

Dolly is Dolly. Do you honestly think you would hear an opinion from her other than “yeah, it’s great!” Come on.

The sharp drop in her song quality is due to her firing her father as her manager and only hiring young, inexperienced songwriters. Her first four albums are all classic bodies of work that can be comfortably played around children. Her father vetoed anything too raunchy or explicit from being recorded. When he left, her lyrics became uncharacteristically vulgar and over-the-top sexual. Maybe as a rebellious phase, maybe to appeal to a younger generation. Who knows.

But we do know she has a habit of asking for songwriting credit for songs she didn't write, which major songwriters now balk at due to streaming payments for songwriters being lower than what they'd get during the CD era. So only inexperienced writers looking for exposure work on her projects, oftentimes split up into 4-5 writers for a single song. If each writer is only getting 20% publishing, it doesn't look so bad if Beyonce also gets 20%. This also puts the songwriters into a weaker negotiation position, as their 20% contribution can be easily swapped out for another writer's. The quality of her last few albums reflects this.

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

Dolly loved it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

I haven't read this whole thread, but a point worth mentioning is that Dolly Parton actually requested Beyonce to cover Jolene some years ago. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love how her reinterpretation fits into the narrative arc of the music she has created the past decade, around her marriage, and recovering from Jay-Z's infidelity. It's not supposed to be a perfect cover, but instead offer an alternate vision of the female response to the other woman. Rage instead of sorrow.

Totally agree it fits but I've hated everything in that arc and ever since then. It feels very faux empowerment when it's really about staying with a cheater.

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

As an aside, I absolutely love Miley’s Jolene

Yeah I just keep listening to En Vogue, Brownstone, Chaka Khan, Sade, and Mary J.

Anonymous wrote:She’s a good proxy for just about everything that’s lewd, commercial, crass, and low-brow in the entertainment industry in 2019. I mean, compare her to the talent of a Joni Mitchell decades ago, and it’s enough to make you cry.

Just like all those raunchy singers like Cardi B and Nikki Minaj. Puke.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

I haven't read this whole thread, but a point worth mentioning is that Dolly Parton actually requested Beyonce to cover Jolene some years ago. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love how her reinterpretation fits into the narrative arc of the music she has created the past decade, around her marriage, and recovering from Jay-Z's infidelity. It's not supposed to be a perfect cover, but instead offer an alternate vision of the female response to the other woman. Rage instead of sorrow.

It still sounds terrible.

Anonymous wrote:Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.

I haven't read this whole thread, but a point worth mentioning is that Dolly Parton actually requested Beyonce to cover Jolene some years ago. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love how her reinterpretation fits into the narrative arc of the music she has created the past decade, around her marriage, and recovering from Jay-Z's infidelity. It's not supposed to be a perfect cover, but instead offer an alternate vision of the female response to the other woman. Rage instead of sorrow.

Beyoncé’s version of Jolene is quite possibly the worst recording by a major recording artist that I’ve ever heard. Any random cover is better than this garbage.