Last night (May 11th) country icon Dolly Parton hosted the 2023 ACM Awards and closed out the show with the live debut of her new glam-metal-inflected rock song “World on Fire,” the lead single off her star-studded upcoming album, Rockstar.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer opened the performance by chanting the chorus to the politically charged tune, standing alone center stage in a long, flowing dress emblazoned with a map of the world and backlit, bringing to life the imagery of the song’s title. She ended the performance in more rock & roll attire, surrounded by dancers and blasts of pyro. Watch above.
Rockstar boasts a massive 30-song tracklist — a mix of originals and covers — and features from Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and many other rock icons.
“This is a song I felt very inspired to write,” Dolly commented of “World on Fire.” “I think it speaks about everything and to everyone this day and time. I hope it is something that will touch you and maybe touch enough people to want to make a change for the better.”
Rockstar is due out November 17th via Parton’s own Butterfly Records.