During the buildup last year to her Rock Hall induction, Dolly Parton promised to further explore her inner rock 'n' roller with a new album titled Rockstar. Per various reports, the fall 2023 release will be a collaborative album with guest appearances by such pop and rock greats as Pink, Brandi Carlisle, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Steve Perry, Steven Tyler and John Fogerty. Expect a mix of covers --Parton has teased revisiting "Stairway to Heaven"-- and fresh material.
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Sweeter yet, Parton made the album in part as a gift to her rock-loving husband, Carl Dean.
"I'm going to do a lot of his favorite songs," Parton told E! News. "He loves Mick Jagger, he loves 'Satisfaction' — those kind of songs. I'm hoping to have Elton John. I'm hoping to have just a lot of the big classic artists singing some of the classic songs."
Parton's live performance at this year's ACM Awards will offer a first listen of her new era. During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Parton revealed that she'll be premiering "World on Fire," a track from Rockstar, on the May 11 ACM Awards broadcast.
Its unveiling follows the debut at Parton's Rock Hall induction of her genre-celebrating song "Rockin'."
Parton is also co-hosting this year's ACMs alongside fellow rocker-at-heart Garth Brooks. Parton first hosted the ACM Awards solo in 2000. She returned last year, co-hosting alongside Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett.
"I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth," Parton shared in a press release. "While I've had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I can't believe we've never had the chance to work together."
"All I hope that we do as a pair is represent [country music] well," Brooks told Billboard. "I mean, you've got your foundation and what you're looking for here. You've got talent and class. Let's represent country music the best that we can."
For the second year in a row, the ACM Awards will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
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