Country music just got its most unexpected sequel, and honestly? It slaps.

Nashville’s own Belles has teamed up with the one and only Dolly Parton for “Son of Jolene,” a clever, character-driven follow-up to arguably the most iconic song in country music history. Out now on all streaming platforms, the track imagines a chance encounter years later with — you guessed it — Jolene’s son. It’s the kind of premise that shouldn’t work on paper, but in Belles’ hands (and with Dolly’s blessing), it absolutely does.

“I grew up so inspired by Dolly and the worlds she created through her songs,” Belles shared. “Having her lend her voice to this record is beyond anything I could have imagined. It feels like a full-circle moment and a true honor.”

Parton, for her part, was sold the moment she heard it. “When I heard ‘Son of Jolene,’ I thought it was very clever. No one had ever thought of it that way,” she said. PEOPLE premiered the track with an exclusive feature, calling the collaboration “the equivalent of a musical and generational bridge being built between the two artists.” Which, yeah — that tracks.

Stream “Son of Jolene” here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/

The single arrives on the heels of Belles’ self-titled EP and ahead of her highly anticipated debut full-length album, slated for release later in 2026. If you’ve been anywhere near country TikTok, you’ve probably already encountered her breakout single “Crazy As Me,” which racked up over 30 million views on social media, more than 2 million Spotify streams, and a No. 3 spot on the iTunes Country Chart. A 400% spike in streams will do that for a career.

Signed to East Music Row Records with publishing through Deluge Music and management via Red Light, Belles has already shared stages with Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, and Jake Worthington. Not a bad resume for an artist whose debut LP hasn’t even dropped yet.

She’s also hitting the road this summer with her Songs & Stories Tour — an intimate, narrative-driven run of shows that kicks off May 1 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee and winds through New York, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and plenty of rooms in between. Expect the real-life stories behind the songs, including the one about Jolene’s kid.

Songs & Stories Tour Dates:
5/1 – Bell Buckle, TN – Bell Buckle Hall
5/9 – New York, NY – The Bitter End
6/11 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
6/13 – Kansas City, KS – Green Guitar Folk House
6/19 – Dunn, NC – Bird’s Nest Listening Room
6/20 – Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic
6/27 – Sweetwater, TX – House Concert Series
7/17 – Sewanee, TN – The Sewanee Inn
7/18 – Fort Payne, AL – The Pickin Post
7/25 – Des Moines, IA – xBk Live
7/31 – Murfreesboro, TN – Hop Springs
8/1 – Chattanooga, TN – Songbirds Listening Room
8/6 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall
8/7 – Austin, TX – Cactus Cafe
8/13 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
8/14 – Las Vegas, NV – Stoney’s Rockin’ Country
8/18 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
8/19 – Lake Orion, MI – 20 Front Street
8/22 – Lansing, MI – The Green Door
8/26 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
8/27 – Portland, OR – The Showdown

Add “Son of Jolene” to your playlists now, and keep an eye out for that debut album later this year. The story of Jolene isn’t over — it’s just got a new narrator.