Parton followed Swift on Instagram, leading fans to speculate that the singers are collaborating on music for ‘Taylor’s Version’ of her 2006 debut album
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Are Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift collaborating soon? Fans think so.
Eagle-eyed Swifties noticed that the “Jolene” singer, 78, had followed Swift, 35, on Instagram. “Could this be a sign of a potential collaboration?” one fan account asked on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a screenshot of accounts that Parton follows.
The speculation comes after the 14-time Grammy winner wrapped up her Eras Tour and with only two more Taylor’s Version albums left to release: Reputation and her self-titled debut album.
Taylor Swift, which debuted in 2006, fell into the genre of country music — which Parton is a cornerstone of, furthering speculation that her sudden following of Swift is a sign of things to come.
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“I’ll never shut up if Queen Dolly is on Debut TV,” one fan wrote, while another called the potential collab “legendary.” “Please PLEASE be a Debut TV feature. 😭,” a third shouted into the void.
In past Taylor’s Version albums, artists such as Fall Out Boy, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Phoebe Bridgers and Hayley Williams have been featured on From the Vault tracks, which had been previously unreleased.
The “9 to 5” singer-songwriter is a fan of Swift. In September when speaking with Variety, Parton praised the “Cruel Summer” singer, saying she is “amazing what she has done with her career.”
“I just admire her very much and how she’s handled her business, her personal life, and what all she has meant to so many young people. [She’s] been a great inspiration,” Parton continued. “And Lord knows we need some uplifting people and things this day and time.”
Parton’s admiration of Swift goes way back. She told PEOPLE in 2015 about how proud she was of her.
“I think that little Taylor Swift has just done amazing,” Parton said at the time. “She knew exactly who she was, she had her dream, and she stuck with it. That’s what you gotta do. I’m just so proud of her.”
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Swift raved about Parton to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, calling her a “legendary empath and the storyteller for the ages.” “Dolly is a force of evolution and transformation in our industry, but she does it with such playful levity it almost looks effortless.”
She added: “Her sense of humor and mischief are easily my favorite things about her, because I think it forces the world to reconcile that a woman can be a serious artist and writer who also has raucous fun with it, can make people laugh and be in on every joke.”
