[13] In response, she declared her intention to record an album of rock covers with a host of musical guests from that genre to justify her inclusion.

She reached out to a variety of dream collaborators over the course of several months, including several of the artists she performed with at the Hall of Fame ceremony such as fellow 2022 inductees Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Simon Le Bon and Rob Halford, and other guests Pink, Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow.

[18] Her favorite collaborator was fellow country musician Chris Stapleton,[19] who stepped in when Bob Seger was unable to join Parton on "Night Moves" due to experiencing problems with his voice.

[20] Prior to the reveal of the official track listing, Parton had performed "Wrecking Ball" with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus at her New Year's Eve show.

[2] After 55 years as a recording artist, Parton had her first release hit a rock-themed chart, with "World on Fire" debuting at number 13 on Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales on May 20, 2023.

[36] Classic Rock described it as "a monumentally hideous, yet strangely glorious album",[31] while Mojo felt that "even if there are moments when Rockstar seems under-amped, you have to admire her chutzpah".

[35] Allison Hussey of Pitchfork called it "a dense and star-studded collection that sounds like the millennium's most expensive karaoke party" but felt that its "more tender moments can't outrun its subtextual baggage" and it ends with an "11-minute fart of a closing cliché".

[34] Helen Brown of The Independent found it "so long that it can feel like a bit of a slog" but "after all the glittering joy and fluttering hope Parton has given the world, it's hard to begrudge her a little Dollyoke fun".