Most people know Dolly Parton for her country hits like ‘Jolene,’ ‘9 To 5,’ and ‘Coat of Many Colours,’ and Black Sabbath for pioneering heavy metal in the 1970s. But what if you mixed these two very different styles? Finnish musician Otu did just that on his YouTube channel.
In a video titled ‘If BLACK SABBATH wrote ‘JOLENE’,’ Otu merges Dolly Parton’s heartfelt lyrics with Black Sabbath’s heavy metal sound. He replaces the original’s acoustic melodies with grinding guitars and heavy drums, and his vocals mimic Ozzy Osbourne’s distinct style.
Despite being posted only a month ago, the video has already garnered nearly 300,000 views and thousands of comments. One fan praised it for “perfectly capturing the Black Sabbath sound,” while another called it “the crossover they’ve been waiting for.” Some viewers even suggested that Dolly Parton would love and be proud of the cover.
This isn’t Otu’s first viral hit. In 2023, he transformed Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ into a thrash metal track in the style of Slayer, which has been watched over a million times. Using powerful vocals, intense guitar solos, and aggressive drums, Otu turned the pop song into a thrash metal masterpiece, earning respect from fans of both Slayer and Michael Jackson.
Otu’s covers of ‘Jolene’ and ‘Beat It’ not only highlight the original artists’ talent but also showcase Otu’s musical abilities. His mastery of heavy metal on multiple instruments allows him to create unique and impressive covers that stand out online.