The music mega star stepped into country territory with a surprise performance — but not everyone is singing her praises.

Beyoncé sparked intense reactions during the second night of her Cowboy Carter tour by performing a cover of Dolly Parton’s classic hit, “Jolene.” The moment was captured in a video clip shared by Billboard, showing the singer on stage delivering her rendition of the song in front of a cheering crowd.

For the performance, Beyoncé wore a silver sequin tank top paired with high-waisted denim shorts. Her long, blonde hair was styled in soft waves that fell past her shoulders.

She completed the outfit with knee-high, fluffy pink boots and accessorized with brown leather gloves that featured fringe detailing. Her western-inspired attire matched the country theme of her latest album and tour.

The performance drew a wide range of responses across social media. On Facebook, many criticized her interpretation of the song. One person wrote, “She just ruined a song.” Another commented, “Omg why is she trying to sing country??? It don’t sound good at all please stop now [sic].”

A third said, “What an insult to Dolly,” while someone else added, “What a disgrace to the song.” Another commenter wrote, “How dare she!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Additional criticism on X included, “Beyoncé can’t sing country…..her rendition of iconic Jolene is wince worthy….”

On Instagram, the backlash continued. One commenter wrote, “Nahhh, this ain’t it. Leave it up to Dolly to sing this song [sic].”

Another person shared, “Sorry, but I will I rather see you performing Motown songs than this. Country Music is not is not your style no matter how hard they try to stick it to your fans [sic].”

Despite the criticism, some fans expressed their support and appreciation for Beyoncé’s performance. On X, one post read, “Y’all I really love Beyoncé’s version of Jolene. It’s so smooth!!” On TikTok, one fan who attended the show shared, “I was there she was amazing [sic].”

Originally released in October 1973, Parton’s classic country track opens with the lines, “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. I’m begging of you please don’t take my man. Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. Please don’t take him just because you can…”

The song tells the story of a woman pleading with another to leave her relationship alone. In a 2008 NPR interview, Parton shared that the inspiration behind “Jolene” came from a real-life moment involving a red-haired bank teller who gave her husband extra attention.

She explained, “She got this terrible crush on my husband. And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.” Though the lyrics sound intense, Parton called the story “really an innocent song all around.”

The simplicity of the lyrics, combined with a haunting melody, helped turn “Jolene” into one of Parton’s first major hits and one of her most iconic tracks to date.

In a May 2024 video interview with E! News, Dolly Parton shared her candid thoughts about Beyoncé’s country album and the reworked version of “Jolene.”

“Well, I think it was very bold of her,” she stated. “When they said she was gonna do ‘Jolene,’ I expected it to be my regular one, but it wasn’t. But I love what she did to it. And as a songwriter, you love the fact that people do your songs no matter how they do them.”

She also acknowledged Beyoncé’s lyrical changes, adding, “She wasn’t gonna go beg some other woman like I did. ‘Don’t steal my man.’ ‘S–t, get out here, b—h. You ain’t stealin’ mine.'”

The country legend expressed her support for the Cowboy Carter album, “I was very proud of her album. I thought she did a great job in country music, and I thought it was great. And I was just happy she did ‘Jolene.’ I, of course, would have loved to have heard how she would have done it in its original way. But of course, you know, it’s Beyoncé. Yeah, her life is different than mine.”

When asked if she would perform “Jolene” with Beyoncé at the 2025 Grammy Awards, she responded, “Why of course I would — if I’m available, if I’m not caught up in something I cannot get out of, yeah, that’d be wonderful. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna sing ‘Jolene’ with Beyoncé?”

Parton also revealed that they stayed in contact behind the scenes. “We communicated when the album came out, when I was doing some of the little things to put on the album,” she said. “And we were sending each other flowers and little love notes and all that. So, yeah, it’s all good.”

Beyoncé first announced the Cowboy Carter tour in February 2025 with a social media post captioned, “SHE COMING.” The album, released ahead of the tour, includes her version of “Jolene” along with 26 other tracks, all available on Spotify.

To support the release, Beyoncé shared an official lyric video for the song on her YouTube channel in May 2024, offering fans a closer look at her personalized take on the country hit.

The unexpected performance of “Jolene” on the Cowboy Carter tour has clearly divided public opinion. While some celebrated Beyoncé’s creative approach to country music, others questioned her rendition of a well-known classic.

Whether praised or critiqued, the moment has undeniably become one of the most talked-about highlights from her latest tour.