We have the exclusive premiere of the new music video for the rising country star’s latest single.
Country music up-and-comer Billie Jo Jones is about to make another jump up the charts.
Her last single, the rousing “Some Girls Don’t Cry,” hit the No. 1 spot on both the Texas Regional Radio and CDX True Indie charts, and continues to be one of the favorites fans call out to hear as she has shared the stage with such notables as Gene Watson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio, Justin Moore, Pat Green, and many others.
This weekend, the Texas-born singer-songwriter is back with “Flame,” a irresistibly sassy and swaggering song that is equal parts tribute to one of her favorite entertainers, living legend Dolly Parton, and showcase for her own unique style and attitude.
“Singing is the only thing I have ever wanted to do,” Billie Jo says. “God didn’t give me this voice to just sit at home with it. I believe He gave me this voice and the courage to go out and play shows every weekend. I have always had a heart for people and getting to share my voice and my story through my songs means everything to me.”
We had the pleasure of speaking with Billie Jo Jones a few days ago. Here are some highlights from our conversation, edited for clarity and length.
Cowboys & Indians: So tell us all about “Flame.”
Billie Jo Jones: I’m super excited for it. I mean, everyone’s heard the song “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. Well, I kind of had a similar situation happen, and I wanted to put my twist on how Billie Jo Jones would handle it. So that's kind of where “Flame” came from. I sat down with a few other songwriters — Lynn Snow, Tammy Marler, and Bobby E. Boyd — and we came up with this. And the reason I am super excited for everyone to hear this song is because even though it’s a woman's song, I feel like that the men are going to be like, “Yeah, that's how I feel about my woman.” So I think that it’s going to be a man and woman song for sure.
C&I: Do you consider Dolly Parton to be a major influence on your career?
Billie Jo: Very much so. Dolly Parton, along with Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, George Jones — I mean, all the greats. I actually got to work with Dolly Parton’s producer Kent Wells in Nashville. He did my first album, and we’re working on the second album right now. So I’m definitely in good company, for sure.
C&I : How do you feel about the progress of your career right now? Or your momentum? Are you at a place where maybe five years ago you hoped you’d be by now?
Billie Jo: I feel like I am at a place right now that I had no idea I would be five years ago. I had hopes that I would be where I am right now, but I had no idea how fast and furious this was going to go. I’ve been playing shows in my band for over 10 years, working my tail off and trying to make it in this big old music industry. And I finally got the right people behind me two or three years ago. So since I have the right team behind me, and the right people, we’ve just kind of been soaring. It has felt like a whirlwind this past year. And the start of 2025 is just going absolutely incredibly right now. So I think this is my year, and I think this song is going to be my biggest breakout song yet.
C&I: We’re still listening to “Some Girls Don’t Cry,” which we described as an anthem for women who are exuberantly happy to get certain men out of their lives. How often do women of any age come up to you and express gratitude for that song?
Billie Jo: Oh, goodness gracious. There’s so many people that have come up to me and said, “‘Some Girls Don't Cry’ is my anthem song. It’s a powerhouse women’s song, and we stand right behind you.” I've even had a woman on Instagram say, “I’m a happily married woman, but I’m screaming this song to the top of my lungs. It just happened to me.” So I thought that was pretty great as well.
C&I: Finally, in terms of your musical career, where do you see yourself five years from now?
Billie Jo: Oh man. Well, really it’s up to God because God’s the one who’s really gotten me this far, and allowed me to do what I love to do for a living. I would love to be selling out stadiums in five years, and I think it’s a really big possibility. If things keep skyrocketing like they are right now, I think it would be a big possibility.
C&I: Maybe not just a possibility, but a probability.
Billie Jo: [Laughs] A probability. I like that word even better.
Here is the exclusive premiere of the new music video for Billie Jo Jones’ “Flame.”
