Country music icon Dolly Parton is teaming up with a new generation of pop royalty — but not without setting a few ground rules.
Before agreeing to appear on a recently reimagined version of “Please Please Please” with 25-year-old singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, Ms. Parton, 79, made sure her signature brand of wholesome charm wouldn’t get lost in the mix.
“I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss, I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough,’” Ms. Parton told Knox News in a recent interview.
The unlikely pairing is featured on the deluxe edition of Ms. Carpenter’s latest album “Short n’ Sweet,” released last month. The original version of “Please Please Please” included the provocative line, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me, m—————r.” In the duet with Ms. Parton, the lyric is softened to: “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”
Ms. Carpenter has become known for her sharp-tongued, often lewd lyrics that blend cheeky innuendo with confidence. Ms. Parton was candid about the lyrical changes, noting that while she appreciated Ms. Carpenter’s artistry, “she can talk a little bad now and then.”
Their team-up was announced with a video clip of the two meeting in person. “You’ll be this old one day,” Ms. Parton joked to the younger singer.
She also poked fun at Ms. Carpenter’s edgier style, teasing her about the “dirty words” in the original track.
Still, Ms. Parton said she was glad to give the song a family-friendlier sheen: “Thank you for letting me do that.”
Ms. Carpenter responded simply: “Thank you for being you.”
Ms. Parton’s appearance on the track marks her first major project since the passing of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. He died this month at age 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage to Ms. Parton.
