Belles Opens Up About Reimagining ‘Jolene’ and Working With Dolly Parton on ‘Son of Jolene’

Belles is reimagining one of country music’s most beloved songs, Dolly Parton‘s “Jolene,” putting her own modern twist on the well-known story with “Son of Jolene.” And to make it even more full circle, she has tapped the country music icon to be part of it.

The rising country star has always had a love and admiration for Dolly Parton’s masterful storytelling, especially on a song as timeless as “Jolene.” Last year while on her headlining tour, she had her first run-in with a woman named Jolene, who also happened to be the mother of her opening act on the road. This instantly sparked Belles’ idea to revisit the classic narrative and write what she imagines the next chapter would look like.

“Obviously ‘Jolene’ is one of the most iconic country songs of all time and one of my favorite country songs ever, and just songs in general. But I grew up loving that song and loving Dolly and her music so much,” Belles told Country Now.

She continued, “I don’t know what came over me, but I just turned to him and I was like, ‘You should write a song about being the son of Jolene.’ And maybe you could spin it where you have a messed up love life because your mom’s name is Jolene and just explore that…he was kind of like, ‘Oh, I mean, it’s a good idea, but I don’t really know if it feels like me or my artistry.’ And I was like, ‘That’s totally fair, but do you mind if I maybe try to write that song?’ And he was like, ‘Sure.’”

The next week, Belles was in the writing room with Dan Harrison and Tyler Bank and together they cranked out “Son of Jolene” in no time.

“It kind of just came out of the sky. I remember as soon as we finished writing it that day, I texted Dan and Tyler and I was like, ‘I feel like we wrote something really special today.’”

The new song serves as a continuation of the classic story. Belles tells it in a way that honors its legacy while introducing a fresh, modern perspective. She draws from the original character Jolene to depict how her mischief and cheating tendencies might have been passed down to her son later in life.

The track unfolds from the perspective of a woman who’s doomed for heartbreak after falling for the son of the same Jolene who once sent Dolly Parton into a frenzy as she begged the woman with “beauty beyond compare” not to take her man. When she hears his mother’s name and notices his auburn hair and emerald green eyes, a lightbulb goes off. The narrator realizes too late that history is bound to repeat itself and accepts defeat: “I was headed for heartbreak.”

Belles’ raw Nebraska twang shines on this mid-tempo track that includes every element of a traditional country song, from twanging guitars to steady rhythms and of course, heartfelt storytelling. She joins forces with Dolly Parton’s signature vocals, creating a moment of pure girl power, as the singers reflect on the people who have wreaked havoc on their lives.

She sings, “I’m just another fool who fell for him/ And the vision of what could’ve been/ But what was I expecting him to be/ The son of Jolene.”

At the end of the tune, Belles tips her hat to the original, repeating the scorned name “Jolene” while Parton’s voice harmonizes alongside hers, serving as a generational passing of the torch that bridges classic and modern country.

When “Son of Jolene” was first written, Belles wanted to make sure she got Dolly Parton’s blessing before sharing it with the world. The country music icon did more than just give her stamp of approval, she also decided to help bring the story to life.

“Immediately after we wrote it, before really doing anything with it, I just wanted to make sure that she was okay with this song and this idea and hopefully get her stamp on it. And so it was actually my publisher, Stephanie Green, who got the song to Dolly’s producer and he was kind of like, ‘I really like this song and I think I’m going to play it for Dolly because I think she would love it. And that was just so crazy to me that Dolly Parton was going to hear a song that I wrote and sang on,” Belles gushed.

“A week later, I got on that Zoom call that I recorded for TikTok and Instagram, and they told me that she wants to sing on it with me. And I was shocked, honestly. It was probably one of the best moments in my life,” Belles confessed.

The “Crazy As Me” singer was lucky enough to meet Parton in person when they came together to record the stunning harmonies for the track last November. She admits there was a fear of getting emotional in the moment, but she held it together until Parton was no longer in her presence and then let the tears of joy flow.

“It was amazing. It was so much fun. And there’s going to be so many clips and content that I’m about to roll out about meeting her. And yeah, it was such a special day. And she was everything that you would imagine her to be and more. It was really awesome.”

“Son of Jolene” follows the release of her self-titled EP and the viral success of her breakout single “Crazy As Me.” Belles finds herself in the midst of a major milestone moment as she gears up to send her newest single to country radio May 11 and looks forward to dropping her debut full-length album later this year.

“It’s been such a highlight of my life. And because I’ve been here in Nashville for seven years and I’ve gotten to do so many cool things. And I got to open for Miranda Lambert, who is another hero of mine and so many awesome things. But Dolly has always been my number one favorite country artist of all time. And I never in a million years thought that I would ever get to meet her, much less have a song with her. I mean, it is truly the greatest honor. And yeah, and I’ve just been working really hard on this album, just trying to make Dolly proud and keep putting out songs that she likes.”

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Beginning May 1, Belles will also launch her Songs & Stories Tour with stops in cities across the U.S., including New York City, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland. This trek offers a stripped-back listening experience, putting Belles’ storytelling front and center as she shares personal moments and real-life inspirations behind each song in her live performances.

The majority of the tour dates will feature Johnny Gates as the opening act, with Averie Bielski joining the Atlanta performance. Belles will also serve as support for country legend Gene Watson for two shows in Tennessee and Alabama this year.

Reflecting on the upcoming set of shows, Belles shared, “I love to tour so much. I love to play live, and I love to just get up there and just talk about how I wrote the songs from my real life perspective and maybe some stuff that you wouldn’t hear just on social media and kind of give a behind the scenes look on how these songs made it out into the world…I want to leave every show feeling like I know these people and they know me better as an artist and a person. I’m really excited to get back out there. I think it’s going to be a really fun summer.”

A full list of Belles’ tour dates can be found on her official website.