#Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus cozy up for Christmas song

Country music legend Dolly Parton and her wrecking ball of a goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, have tag-teamed on an earnest holiday ballad, “Christmas Is,” which is one of a dozen audio tracks posted overnight on Parton’s YouTube channel.

The uplifting, breathy tune pumps up the true meaning of the holiday season, as they warble together, “It’s all about kindness, love, and compassion — better to give than receive.”

Their duet — plus Parton’s collaboration with Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, titled “Christmas Where We Are” — is part of her newest, gently produced holiday album, “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” Parton’s first in the genre in three decades. The 12-cut record also includes collabs with Michael Bublé (the jazzy “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas”), Willie Nelson (the twangy “Pretty Paper”) and her younger brother, singer Randy Parton (the uptempo “You Are My Christmas”).

Plus, Parton serves up her own lighthearted, jaunty versions of holiday hits including “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “Holly Jolly Christmas.” She also teams with “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon for a karaoke-level version of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But be warned: A “History of Rap” battle — à la Fallon vs. Justin Timberlake — it’s not. You may cringe when the purring Parton gets all “mushy and romantic” and closes the song with the croon, “Oh, you sexy boy!”

Miley, 27, isn’t just frolicking in Christmas collabs with her 74-year-old godmother these days. This week she released a band-approved cover of the Blondie classic “Heart of Glass,” which she performed at the iHeartRadio Music Festival last month. And during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards in August, she offered up a live version of her single “Midnight Sky” that included a re-creation of her swinging “Wrecking Ball” video.