About The Song
A Queen-Sized Salute: Dolly Parton – “We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You”
When Dolly Parton released her 2023 Rockstar album, she didn’t just cross genre lines—she kicked the door wide open. Among the album’s most audacious and exhilarating moments is her powerful medley of “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You”—a bold tribute to Queen that is equal parts anthem, declaration, and celebration. Taking on two of rock’s most iconic songs is no small feat, but Dolly rises to the challenge with the same tenacity and showmanship that have defined her six-decade career.
Originally written by Freddie Mercury (“We Are the Champions”) and Brian May (“We Will Rock You”) and released together in 1977, these songs have long stood as stadium-sized symbols of resilience and unity. In Dolly’s hands, they take on a new voice—feminine, fierce, and full of fire. Rather than mimic Queen’s theatricality, she reinterprets the songs through the lens of determination and triumph, honoring their legacy while boldly making them her own.
The medley begins with the stomping rhythm of “We Will Rock You,” reimagined with gritty guitars and a Southern-rock swagger. Dolly’s vocals are commanding and electrifying—she doesn’t merely sing, she roars, channeling decades of experience into every line. Her version adds a fresh edge to the original’s pulse-pounding defiance, transforming it from a chant into a rallying cry of empowerment.
As the transition into “We Are the Champions” unfolds, the energy shifts—soaring into an orchestral, gospel-tinged crescendo that allows Dolly’s voice to shine with conviction and grace. Her interpretation of the chorus—“We are the champions, my friends…”—feels less like a boast and more like a message of hope, delivered by someone who knows what it means to fight through adversity and come out stronger.
What makes this performance so moving isn’t just the vocal power—it’s the emotional sincerity. Dolly isn’t claiming the crown for herself; she’s lifting it up for everyone who’s ever overcome a battle, personal or public. In her hands, the lyrics become a hymn of survival, of reaching the top not in isolation, but with the weight of others’ stories behind you.
The production, muscular and rich, fuses arena rock with Southern soul, driven by dynamic drums, electric guitar, and choral backing vocals that elevate the medley into something larger than life. Yet, even in its grandiosity, there’s still that unmistakable Dolly warmth—a twinkle in the eye, a heart behind the power.
By choosing to close Rockstar with this Queen medley, Dolly Parton doesn’t just cap off an album—she stakes her place in the pantheon of musical legends, not by imitation, but by fearless transformation. It’s bold. It’s joyous. It’s triumphant.
And most of all—it rocks.