Rising Country Star’s Collaboration With Dolly Parton Impacts Radio as BELLES Prepares Debut Album Midwestern BELLES is bringing a legendary country story into a new generating. The rising country star is making waves at country radio with “Son of Jolene,” her collaboration with the late global icon Dolly Parton. The track, written by Kelli Belles, Dan Harrison, Tyler Bank and Parton, reimagines one of country music’s most recognizable narratives, continuing the story of Parton’s 1973 classic “Jolene” by imagining what might happen if Jolene’s son inherited his mother’s flirtatious ways.
The collaboration also marks a significant radio moment for Parton, serving as her return to country radio with an original recording since her 2006 collaboration with Brad Paisley, “When I Get Where I’m Going,” which reached No. 1. Parton previously praised the song’s concept in an interview with PEOPLE, saying, “When I heard ‘Son of Jolene,’ I thought it was very clever. No one had ever thought of it that way.”
For BELLES, hearing the collaboration reach country radio represents a milestone that goes well beyond another career achievement. “Dolly gave me one of the greatest gifts of my life when she believed in ‘Son of Jolene’ and lent her voice to it,” Belles says. “Hearing our voices together on country radio and to have Dolly’s last song on country radio is something I’ll never be able to fully put into words. Country radio has always been such an important part of the music I grew up loving and knowing that Dolly helped me find my own place there makes every spin feel incredibly special. I’ll carry her belief in me, and the gift she gave this song, with me for the rest of my career.”
Born in Omaha and now based in Nashville, BELLES — the artist name of Kelli Belles — is developing a sound that connects contemporary country with the storytelling traditions that shaped her musical identity. Influenced by artists including Parton and Loretta Lynn, she combines Midwest roots, sharp songwriting and a modern sensibility with the charisma of a seasoned live performer. That momentum is reflected in her growing audience. BELLES has amassed more than 100 million cumulative streams and 1.5 million social followers, establishing herself as one of Nashville’s emerging country acts. “Son of Jolene” has become a defining chapter in that rise. Released as a collaboration with Parton, the track has generated significant attention while following BELLES’ viral success with “Crazy As Me.” The momentum has also carried into the live space, helping fuel multiple sold-out dates on her headline Crazy As Me Tour.
Now, BELLES is taking that momentum on the road with her 45-city Songs & Stories Tour while preparing for the release of her debut album, Midwestern, due Oct. 16. Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, Midwestern centers on the stories behind the artist: chasing big dreams, navigating love and heartbreak, and remaining connected to the places and people that shaped her. With “Son of Jolene,” BELLES has found herself at the intersection of country music history and its next chapter — sharing a song with one of the genre’s most enduring voices while establishing a musical identity of her own. And as the song continues making its way across country radio, the connection between BELLES and Parton gives “Son of Jolene” an added resonance: a new story built from one of country music’s most iconic songs, now carried forward by an artist beginning to write her own history.