American Idol winner Hannah Harper has fans talking after releasing her cover of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, filmed live at Dollywood. The performance quickly gained attention online, reportedly surpassing 1.5 million views in just 24 hours, with fans praising her vocals and comparing her sound to the country legend. Even Dollywood’s official account joined the conversation with a special message for the rising star.
Harper recorded the performance during her appearance at Dollywood’s annual Harvest Festival, where she took the stage at the park’s Celebrity Theater. Since winning Season 24 of American Idol earlier this year, the singer has been busy performing across the country, including appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and on tour with Brad Paisley.
During her Dollywood set, Harper performed original songs such as String Cheese and Hold Your Horses before paying tribute to Parton with her rendition of 9 to 5. The 1980 hit remains one of Parton’s best-known songs, earning an Academy Award nomination and two Grammy Awards after its release.
For Harper, performing the classic at Dollywood carried special meaning. When she announced the release of the live recording on Instagram, she described the experience as a full-circle moment and credited Parton with inspiring generations of women to follow their dreams.
“Dolly has inspired so many of us girls with big dreams,” Harper wrote, adding that it meant the world to her to put her own spin on one of Parton’s classics.
The response from fans was immediate, with many praising Harper’s warm vocals and the similarities they heard between her voice and Parton’s.
“You sound so similar to how Dolly did it. Sounds great,” one fan commented.
Another wrote, “Wow sounds just like Dolly.”
Dollywood itself also made its enthusiasm clear, leaving a comment on Harper’s release that quickly caught fans’ attention.
“This will be on repeat for us all day 🎧 congratulations @hannahharper!” the official account wrote.
The theme park later shared another message praising the performance: “Wonderfully done 👏🏼 congratulations on the new release and come back to Dollywood soon!”
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Fans continued to celebrate the cover, with one listener noting, “You can hear touches of Dolly in those high notes.”
Others were already asking Harper to record more of Parton’s music, particularly her Christmas classic.
“PLEASE do a cover of Hard Candy Christmas!” one fan urged.
Another echoed the request, writing, “Now we need your full version of Hard Candy Christmas please!!”
However, the reaction went beyond praise for the song itself. Some fans believe Harper should have been invited to perform at the recent CMA tribute special honoring Parton, which featured artists from across the music industry.
“She SHOULD have been singing this on the tribute to Dolly Wednesday night! I was disappointed about that,” one commenter wrote.
Another fan shared a similar sentiment, saying, “Too bad Hanna wasn’t on that Dolly’s Tribute show. She nailed it.”
Some viewers even suggested Harper would be a strong choice to portray Parton in a future biopic. One commenter wrote that if a film about the country legend were made, Harper should be considered for the role.
Others praised the singer for staying true to herself while building her career after American Idol. One fan described her as a potential next-generation version of Parton, while another expressed excitement about seeing more of Harper’s music in the future.
Not every comment focused on comparisons, though. Some fans simply celebrated the opportunity to hear Harper perform a beloved classic in a place closely associated with Parton’s legacy.
With her 9 to 5 cover gaining attention and Dollywood publicly showing its support, Harper is giving fans another reason to follow her journey after American Idol. And if the comments are any indication, listeners are already hoping her next Dolly Parton cover will be Hard Candy Christmas.
