Part 1
The Consensus: Miley Cyrus Is Riding Dolly Parton's Coattails — And That's Wrong
Let’s get one thing straight: the internet has decided that Miley Cyrus owes her entire career resurgence to her godmother, Dolly Parton. You’ve seen the takes. The 2024 Super Bowl commercial where they teamed up for T-Mobile. The 2023 SNL performance where Miley covered “Jolene” and Dolly faxed her approval. The endless jokes about Dolly’s fax machine, her flip phone, her refusal to join the 21st century. And through it all, a sneaky little narrative has taken root: Miley is lucky. She’s coasting on Dolly’s legacy. She’s capitalizing on the Queen of Country’s goodwill to stay relevant.
I’m here to tell you that take isn’t just wrong — it’s lazy. It reduces one of the most fascinating, deliberately cultivated relationships in modern entertainment to a simple transaction. And it ignores everything Miley has said and done to earn Dolly’s trust. Their bond isn’t a crutch; it’s a masterclass in artistic integrity. Dolly doesn’t want a copy/paste. She wants an infusion of self. And Miley? She’s been giving exactly that for years.
So let’s dismantle the consensus, piece by piece. Starting with the biggest myth of all: that Miley Cyrus is simply lucky.
When Miley appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she laughed and said, “I’m pretty lucky” about having Dolly as her godmother. The clip went viral. But here’s what the headlines didn’t capture: the rest of that conversation, where Miley described the absurd, beautiful, deeply intentional ways she and Dolly stay connected. Dolly doesn’t text. She faxes. Someone scans the fax, sends it as a text, and Miley receives it. Every fax is signed. And instead of just rolling her eyes or hiring an assistant to handle it, Miley started writing her own letters. She goes into her notes app and crafts messages. Why? Because, as she told Seth, “There’s something so amazing just about a connection. It’s just not casual.” She knows Dolly took the time to get out her typewriter — or her cassette recorder, or her flip phone — and she reciprocates. That’s not luck. That’s effort.
Think about what that means. Miley could easily coast on the fact that Dolly is her godmother. She could send a quick text, or nothing at all. Instead, she meets Dolly in her analog world. She writes letters. She records voice memos. She plays along with the fax machine bit because she respects the ritual. That’s not the behavior of someone capitalizing on a famous relative. That’s the behavior of someone who values the relationship for what it is: a genuine, two-way street.
And let’s not forget the SNL story. Miley didn’t know she was going to cover “Jolene” until Saturday afternoon. Lorne Michaels — the guy Miley says she actually listens to — told her she needed to fill time because Elon Musk’s monologue ran long. So she learned the song, performed it that night, and waited for Dolly’s reaction. It came via fax, of course. And Dolly didn’t just say “good job.” She said she loved that Miley introduced her music to a new generation in a way that was still Miley. That’s the key. Dolly doesn’t want a tribute act. She wants an interpreter. And Miley has always been that.
So when people say Miley is riding Dolly’s coattails, they’re missing the point. Miley isn’t borrowing Dolly’s legacy. She’s actively carrying it forward — and doing it in her own voice. That’s not luck. That’s artistry.
But the consensus has more ammunition. Next, they’ll tell you that Dolly carries Miley — that without Dolly’s stamp of approval, Miley’s recent success wouldn’t exist. And that’s where the real dismantling begins.
Dismantling the Myth: Dolly Parton Doesn't Carry Miley — Miley Carries Dolly's Legacy Forward
The consensus goes like this: Dolly Parton is the once-in-a-generation talent, and Miley Cyrus is the lucky kid who gets to stand in her glow. It's a tidy story. It's also backwards. Miley isn't riding Dolly's coattails — she's the one carrying Dolly's legacy into rooms Dolly's fax machine will never reach. And the proof isn't in some PR statement. It's in a Saturday afternoon phone call from Lorne Michaels.
Let's start with the SNL story, because it's the cleanest piece of evidence we have. Miley was booked to appear on Saturday Night Live in 2023. She'd done the show before. She knew the drill. But this time, Lorne Michaels called her on Saturday afternoon — the day of the show — and told her she was doing a cover of "Jolene." No rehearsal. No warning. Just, "Miley, you're doing it." Why? Because Elon Musk's monologue ran long and they needed to fill time. That's it. That's the whole reason one of the most iconic Dolly Parton covers of the decade exists.
Now, think about what that means. A lesser artist would have panicked. Or phoned it in. Or tried to do a note-perfect Dolly impression. Miley did none of those things. She went out there and delivered a version of "Jolene" that was unmistakably hers — raw, a little ragged, full of that gravelly ache she's been perfecting since she was a teenager. And Dolly loved it. She sent a fax. Not a text. Not a tweet. A fax. Because that's how Dolly communicates, and Miley knows it.
That fax is the whole point. Dolly didn't say, "Great job copying me." According to Miley, Dolly said she loves when Miley introduces her music to new fans "in a way that's still me." That's Dolly's own words. She doesn't want a tribute act. She wants a torchbearer. And Miley is exactly that — not because she sounds like Dolly, but because she refuses to.
