You really cannot deny the beauty of “Seasons” by Bebe Rexha featuring country legend Dolly Parton. Released on April 28 alongside her self-titled third studio album, Bebe, the song speaks about the ever-constant change happening around us. However, just because there are changes taking place around us, it doesn’t mean we have to change as well. As Parton sings in the song, “My mirror is a liar / Inside, I’m still a child.”
“I lie awake inside a dream / And I run, run, run away from me / The seasons change right under my feet / I’m still the same, same, same, same old me,” Rexha kicks off the song with the chorus, before delving into the story of how she can’t always win by herself, even though she keeps trying to.
In an interview with PEOPLE, the songstress named “Seasons” is the song on the album that she’s most proud of. Gushing about Parton, she added, “I’ve always wanted to work with Dolly Parton. She is an inspiration to me, not just as an artist, but as a human — and a songwriter as well. She’s an incredible songwriter, and I was always so in awe of her because she’s able to write these incredible, massive songs for other artists and then also have her own career. So, to be able to work with her was such a special moment.”
Rexha also explained the significance of having Parton perform the song with her, saying, “It’s so beautiful. I just love how I’m talking about life and change [in the song], and she talks about it from her standpoint. It’s two women at different ages, and we’re still going through the same thing and trying to figure out this thing called life.”
Sometimes less is more. The accompanying music video sees Rexha and Parton singing into their mics, complementing each other’s voices in turns. The only wardrobe change they made was when they switched up their black get-ups for white ones, but the beauty of the video isn’t in anything shiny or glamorous. It’s in the emotions on their faces, and the way they look at one another as they go through the lines of the deeply emotional song. With this song, Parton is reminding us why she’s still here after making music for over six decades, and Rexha is teaching us that her voice can work in miraculous ways. The end result? We smile and cry as we watch these two greats from different generations sing about the changing seasons.
