Country Fans Listened Closely, Then Spoke Very Freely
Beneath an Instagram post, several commenters made it clear that affection for Ella didn’t automatically mean they loved this rendition. One wrote, “I love her but it was meh.”
Another focused on the feeling behind the song, writing, “Jolene isn’t supposed to be sultry. It’s literally a woman begging another woman not to take her man.” For that listener, the interpretation had wandered too far from the frightened woman at the center of Dolly’s lyrics.
A third commenter added, “I’m sorry but this was a rough performance.” Even an evening devoted to a country queen couldn’t persuade everyone to hold their tongue.
Under a Facebook post, one viewer offered a more specific assessment: “She’s typically a good performer but this was probably the weakest performance of the night. At times her emphasis seemed to land on the wrong word.”
Others had arrived with a different singer in mind. One wrote, “I was hoping Miley would sing this one. Would have been much better.”
