Lots of press-on nail-wearing fingers are crossed right now that Dolly Parton will be the surprise artist behind an unreleased Barbie soundtrack cut. After all, producer Mark Ronson told Time that there's a forthcoming track by one of the "greatest living artists around" with "a very personal, idiosyncratic tie to Barbie."
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Even if Billie Eilish spoiled the surprise and Ronson's referencing her promised song "What Was I Made For," no one better fits the producer's vague clues than Parton.
Parton by most measures —from longevity to pop cultural reach and beyond— should qualify as one of the greatest alive to someone with Ronson's sensibilities. Plus, she's as relevant as ever beyond the confines of country music, scoring a recent No. 1 on MediaBase's Classic Rock Songs chart for "Bygones," a rocking collaboration with Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and John 5. In short, a Parton appearance on what's shaping up to be a pop culture-shaking soundtrack could lead to a hit.
As for her "personal, idiosyncratic" ties, multiple things bind Parton to Barbie. You can't spell Dolly without "doll," and both global icons are synonymous with their blonde hair and hourglass figures. Pink outfit-crazed Parton's even been immortalized in plastic outside of the Barbie toy line.
Better yet, Parton should be lauded as a country Barbiecore pioneer for her 2008 album Backwoods Barbie. Its title track reminds us that just as Barbie's appearance doesn't mean she can't explore outer space or become a veterinarian, Parton's glitzy aesthetic shouldn't overshadow her many benevolent works or boundless business sense. "I'm just a backwoods Barbie, too much makeup, too much hair," goes the song's lyrics. "Don't be fooled by thinking that the goods are not all there / Don't let these false eyelashes lead you to believe that/ I'm as shallow as I look 'cause I run true and deep."
