Felix P@felix_p

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Miley Cyrus sings Islands in the Stream, Dolly Parton's goddaughter

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers made Islands in the Stream a staple in 1983, and for decades it stayed theirs. What changes that is Miley Cyrus stepping up to sing it, because she's not some artist who just discovered the catalog. Dolly is her godmother. The relationship predates Miley's fame entirely, and across that stretch Dolly has been a mentor, a friend, and a steady presence in her life. So when Miley takes on that song, there's a personal history underneath it that a typical cover wouldn't have. It also says something about how music moves. A track tied to one generation can get carried forward by somebody from the next. And every so often that carrier is a person who grew up close to the legend who made the original stick. That's the part that gives this performance its extra weight

1h

Felix P@felix_p

Follow

Miley Cyrus sings Islands in the Stream, Dolly Parton's goddaughter

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers made Islands in the Stream a staple in 1983, and for decades it stayed theirs. What changes that is Miley Cyrus stepping up to sing it, because she's not some artist who just discovered the catalog. Dolly is her godmother. The relationship predates Miley's fame entirely, and across that stretch Dolly has been a mentor, a friend, and a steady presence in her life. So when Miley takes on that song, there's a personal history underneath it that a typical cover wouldn't have. It also says something about how music moves. A track tied to one generation can get carried forward by somebody from the next. And every so often that carrier is a person who grew up close to the legend who made the original stick. That's the part that gives this performance its extra weight

1h