Miley Cyrus’ televised New Year’s Eve Party hosted a night of stars, songs, and plenty of celebration. But most exciting of all, the second annual NBC holiday special—co-hosted by the pop star alongside her godmother and country icon Dolly Parton—saw a super duo born with the two show runners.
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Live from Miami, Florida, the two-hour special was riddled with duets between the two. Together, they performed Cyrus’ 2013 hit, “Wrecking Ball,” combined with the Parton classic, “I Will Always Love You.” They also sang another of Parton’s songs, the 1973 triumph, “Jolene,” and covered Patsy Cline’s waltzing country hit, “Walkin’ After Midnight.”
The most electrifying of the pairings, however, came with their opening rendition of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ raucous party anthem, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Both clad in animal print, Cyrus and Parton gave an irresistibly foot-stomping powerhouse performance against a backdrop of blinding lights, flaming pyrotechnics, and an unshakable band.
The rocking performance was a fitting one for the country legend who had recently been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside acts like Duran Duran, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, and Judas Priest. With the induction, Parton also announced she will be releasing an all rock album, one she intends to “have some of the greats, the legends of rock and roll sing along with me.”
Watch their duet below.
The pair rang in the new year together that night, welcoming appearances from Sia, Latto, Rae Sremmurd, rock outfit Liily, and singer-songwriter Fletcher. The already star-studded lineup also saw several surprise guests, like Paris Hilton and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.
Elsewhere in the special, Cyrus squeaked in a sneak peek of her upcoming single, “Flowers.” Proclaiming a “New Year New Miley,” the singer is poised to drop the song on Jan. 13.
Photo credit: Vijat Mohindra/NBC
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