Miranda Lambert says Dolly Parton is “all over” her new album Crisco, an influence the country star describes as both sonic and spiritual. In a new interview with Billboard, Lambert opened up about how the project took shape and why the legendary Parton looms so large over its disco-tinged, 1970s countrypolitan sound.
Crisco,” the country star’s 11th studio album, arrived Friday with a set of boogie-driven tracks lifted by sweeping strings and a playful, dance-floor wink.
“Dolly’s all over this, energy-wise,” Lambert told Billboard. “I feel like Dolly Parton is one of those people who will be here forever, even if it’s not on this Earth, but she’s always been an angel, anyway… I feel like she’s going to show up even more in our music and just keep influencing and blazing the trail even from up there.”
Lambert traced the album’s sonic direction back to her duet with Chris Stapleton, A Song to Sing, which she wrote aiming to capture the sultry, glittery spirit of the classic Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton collaborations she grew up loving. That influence carries through tracks like Crisco and Two Things Can Be True, both steeped in lush harmonies, piano and string arrangements characteristic of the era.
“I’ve never recorded with strings in my career, which is crazy,” Lambert said.
The singer also shared a personal memory of Dolly Parton offering her advice early in her career, one she has carried with her ever since. “I got to the studio, I walked in and there’s cameras and lights everywhere. She grabs my shoulders and says, ‘Honey, find your good light. Always find your good light,’ and she turned my shoulders to the pretty light. I use that every single day when I’m doing camera stuff. I was like, ‘Thank you, Dolly.’ But in general, ‘Find your good light’ meant way more than that.”
Lambert has described Crisco as a deliberately lighter departure from much of her past catalog. In a statement, she wrote, “I’ve made a lot of records with a lot of heavy subjects over the years. This album feels mostly lighthearted. It’s refreshing to get up on stage and sing something fun. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled that much in the studio.”
The album also features a guest appearance from Ella Langley and a cover of Jim Croce’s 1974 hit I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song. The combination of classic country textures, string arrangements and guest vocals underscores Lambert’s intent to honor the sounds that shaped her while pushing into a more playful register.
Parton’s shadow over the record is not incidental. Lambert’s comments suggest a deliberate attempt to channel the warmth, wit and trailblazing spirit that have defined Parton’s decades-long career, even as Lambert makes the material distinctly her own. The result, she indicates, is a set of songs that feel both nostalgic and fresh, rooted in the past but not weighed down by it.
For Lambert, the guidance she received from Dolly Parton years ago—about finding the right light—has become a broader metaphor for navigating a long career in the public eye. That advice, she says, continues to shape how she presents herself and how she approaches her work, on stage and off.
Dolly Parton died last month at the age of 80 years
Source: Geo News