Los Angeles, USA — November 2025
A NEW WAVE OF CRITICISM
Dolly Parton has spent more than six decades in the spotlight, delivering classics that helped sculpt the very foundation of American music. Yet even legends are not immune to the shifting tides of contemporary criticism. At 79, the country icon recently faced harsh commentary after going five years without a major chart-topping single. Online critics, armed with clicks and cruelty, labeled her “washed-up,” claiming her era had “finally ended.”
It was a narrative built on numbers, not context—an accusation that ignored the magnitude of a career that produced more than 3,000 songs, redefined an entire genre, and built a global cultural empire. But if the critics expected silence, they were mistaken. Dolly Parton didn’t need to defend herself. Her goddaughter did it for her.
And Miley Cyrus did not hold back.
MILEY CYRUS STEPS IN — A GODDAUGHTER’S ROAR
When the backlash began, Miley Cyrus—fresh off her own renaissance with career-defining hits—stepped forward with a statement so intimate and powerful that it instantly shifted the narrative:
“I’ve grown up covering my Aunt Dolly.”
Those eight words were more than a defense—they were a declaration of lineage, mentorship, and artistic inheritance. For Miley, Dolly is more than family; she is the blueprint. And for anyone who questioned Dolly’s relevance, that single sentence delivered the ultimate truth bomb: Dolly Parton is the source code from which multiple generations of artists have drawn inspiration.
Miley later expanded on the sentiment, explaining that she has been performing Dolly’s songs since her childhood—at school talent shows, on stage, at home, everywhere. Her voice developed within Dolly’s songs. Her stage presence was influenced by watching Dolly command audiences with unmatched warmth and showmanship. Her musical instincts were shaped by a woman who built a global phenomenon out of storytelling and rhinestones.
When Miley defended her, she wasn’t protecting a relic of the past. She was honoring the architect of her present.
THE ROCKSTAR COLLABORATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
But Miley’s defense wasn’t limited to words. She backed it up with art.
In 2023, Dolly released Rockstar, a sprawling, star-studded rock album featuring collaborations with icons across genres. Miley’s contribution—an electrifying duet on “Wrecking Ball (Rock Version)”—became one of the album’s most talked-about tracks.
It was symbolic in every way:
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A pop superstar lending her breakout hit back to the woman who inspired her career.
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A generational bridge uniting two eras of music.
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A reaffirmation that Dolly’s artistic relevance doesn’t expire with age.
Miley described the moment as an emotional full circle: “It meant the world to me to share something so personal with her.” The move wasn’t just a collaboration—it was a public reminder that artists of Miley’s stature don’t align themselves with “washed-up” musicians. They align themselves with legends.
SILENCING CRITICS WITH SUCCESS
If critics expected Dolly to fade quietly, Rockstar proved them wrong. Released when she was 77, the album became her highest-charting release ever, debuting in the top tiers of multiple global charts. It wasn’t just a win—it was a milestone, proof that her artistic evolution still resonates.
The success of Rockstar held up a mirror to the critics: Dolly didn’t need a radio hit to stay relevant. She needed only her name, her craft, and her unmatched ability to evolve.
Chart-toppers come and go. Legends endure.
DOLLY’S INFLUENCE: A MULTIGENERATIONAL LINEAGE
One of the major blindspots in the “washed-up” accusation is the misunderstanding of Dolly’s true influence. Her power has never rested on chart rankings; it has rested on the cultural and artistic legacy she continually shapes.
Artists across genres—country, pop, rock, folk, even hip-hop—have cited her as inspiration. Taylor Swift has called her “a foundation stone of country storytelling.” Beyoncé honored her heritage by covering “Jolene”. Kacey Musgraves and Shania Twain both trace their musical roots back to her fearless self-expression.
And then there is Miley Cyrus, who is not merely influenced by Dolly but woven into her story. Their bond transcends fame. It’s mentorship, kinship, and artistic inheritance all at once.
When Miley says she “grew up covering” Dolly, she’s describing something profound:
Dolly’s music helped raise her. Dolly’s career helped guide her. Dolly’s courage helped shape her.
THE REALITY BEHIND THE CHART NUMBERS
In the streaming era, chart performance has become a poor measure of artistic relevance—especially for veteran artists whose base relies less on algorithms and more on loyalty. Dolly’s work in the past five years has included:
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A bestselling memoir
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A Christmas film and soundtrack
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A Broadway project in development
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A global expansion of her Imagination Library literacy project, now distributing over 200 million books
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Immense philanthropic contributions
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And, of course, Rockstar
If Dolly isn’t topping the singles charts, it’s because she’s busy topping cultural impact charts, a category she has dominated for half a century.
MILEY’S FINAL WORD: WHY DOLLY CAN’T BE “WASHED-UP”
Miley summarized the truth better than any critic or fan could:
“Dolly isn’t from a time that’s passed. Dolly is the time. Her influence is forever.”
It was the ultimate mic drop.
When your music raises multiple generations, when your philanthropy changes millions of lives, and when your legacy is carried forward by global superstars—you cannot be washed up. You’re not fading. You’re expanding.
A LEGEND BEYOND CHARTS
Dolly Parton’s relevance has never depended on weekly rankings. Her staying power lies in her humanity, her songwriting, her ability to transform vulnerability into timeless anthems. Critics may look at numbers. Artists look at legacy. And fans look at impact.
Miley Cyrus understood all of this when she delivered the line that ended the debate:
“I’ve grown up covering my Aunt Dolly.”
It wasn’t just a defense. It was a coronation.