Dolly Parton Takes Metaverse By Storm With 'Dollyverse' And 'Dolly-Inspired' NFTs

The entertainment industry is fast becoming one with the rising trend of NFTs and Metaverse, and country queen Dolly Parton has no intention of being left behind.

Parton made her debut into the decentralized online ecosystem in the best way ever ― with a new album, a new book, and of course, Dolly-inspired NFTs!

The "Jolene" singer has partnered with Fox Entertainment's Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL) to launch Dollyverse as part of embracing the virtual world and giving her fans greater access to her art.

The great news was shared in a press release that described Dollyverse as "an audience-centric Web3 experience." The launch of Dollyverse will see Parton perform for the first time on the blockchain at the upcoming South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals.

At the SXSW Conference, Parton will be joined by best-selling author James Patterson to discuss their upcoming co-written novel titled "Run, Rose, Run" and her upcoming album of the same name.

An excerpt of the press release reads, "To promote the debut of Run, Rose, Run, Parton will make her first-ever appearance at SXSW on March 18, when she and Patterson will speak about the project at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater."

After a panel discussing the book, Parton will turn on the microphone to perform some select new songs from her new album alongside her other hit tunes. The highly-anticipated event will be streamed exclusively on the Dollyverse by Eluvio technology.

The Dollyverse will also "release an exclusive selection of official and certified Dolly NFT collectibles, including limited-edition NFTs of the 'Run, Rose, Run' music album and a limited series of Dolly-inspired NFT artwork."

Fans who watch the live stream will receive tokens authenticating their participation, while those who attend the SXSW conference in-person become eligible to claim a free NFT. An excited Parton said about the upcoming event:

There’s almost nothing more important to me than connecting with my fans. And I’m almost always up for trying something new and different. I'd say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, with James Patterson by my side, definitely counts as new and different!

According to Parton's manager Danny Nozell, her partnership with BCL fulfills her life's mission to use her gifts to connect with people and gives her "a totally new way to do that."

The CEO of BCL, Scott Greenberg, is thrilled to have Parton as the first musician to partner with the company. "Dolly is a true pioneer who brings the highest level of quality, heart, and authenticity to everything she touches, which is why she's the perfect person to introduce to the mainstream audience an easy-to-use, Web3 experience," he said in his statement.

The news of Parton wading into the world of NFTs has taken the internet by storm, and as expected, fans have mixed reactions to the report. Many feel disappointed because of the seemingly negative impact the blockchain has on the environment.

One fan wrote, "Hi Dolly, I love and adore you but please rethink this. Nfts are ruining the environment and driving up energy prices so some people can't affort heat in certain places, and so much more."

Another user echoed a similar sentiment, writing, "Ms. Parton, I have tremendous respect for you. But I will lose so much of it if you go for blockchain/NFT stuff. Its environmental and economic damage is counter to so much that you do. Please reconsider, ma'am."

"Dolly, no, crypto stuff is basically a ponzi scheme AND it has a horrible impact on the environment. Please reconsider using blockchain," another worried fan highlighted.

However, it was not all negative reaction. Some other fans were thrilled to see the country music icon advancing with technology. One excited fan wrote, "I AM SO SO SO SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO NFTS!!! while another added, "Dolly's getting in on the blockchain!"

This user commented, "I love that you quoted blockchain teeehee 😊 V cool you're exploring new ways to connect w/ fans and to distro your music (and book!)."

While most of the comments seem negative, Parton hasn't shown any intention of not going forward with the NFTs. As a result, she now joins the long list of musicians such as  Justin Bieber, Drake, Future, Chris Brown, who have made hefty investments in the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets.