Dolly Parton's Last-Ever Recording Lands on U2's New Album, Dropping November 13
U2 unveils 'Carnaval De Luz,' their 16th studio album, led by the single "Silencio" ahead of the title track's release. The tracklist includes "Torn," a duet featuring Dolly Parton's final recorded vocals before her passing.
"Torn" will be remembered not just as a duet on U2's new album, but as the last vocal recording Dolly Parton left behind. Bono's duet with her appears on U2's 16th studio album, 'Carnaval De Luz,' produced by Daniel Lanois. The album drops November 13, marking the band's first collection of all-new material in nine years — timed to coincide with U2's 50th anniversary.
Produced by Jacknife Lee, the 12-track album explores themes of faith, friendship, freedom, and perseverance. Earlier this year, U2 surprised fans with two 6-track EPs, 'Days Of Ash' and 'Easter Lily.' 'Carnaval De Luz' precedes both EPs chronologically, echoing the Catholic liturgical calendar — Carnival being a celebration of earthly indulgence that comes before Lent (a period of reflection) and Easter (renewal).
Lead Single "Silencio" Drops First, Music Video Shot in Mexico City
On September 24, U2 released the album's lead single "Silencio," a breezy, rhythm-driven track that echoes the band's more experimental past work. The music video was shot in Mexico City and directed by Cliqua, Pasqual Gutiérrez, and Raúl "RJ" Sanchez. The band had previously released another single, "Street Of Dreams," also featured on the album.
The album's collaborator list is stacked: Brian Eno co-wrote and provided synth work on "Go (Carnaval De Luz)"; Martin Garrix appears on "Glorify"; and Ryan Tedder handled additional production on select tracks. Guitarist The Edge revealed this marks U2's first time using flat-wound strings in the studio, describing the album overall as "messy, provocative, and touched with something sacred."
Bono captured the album's mood in an almost theatrical monologue: "Roll up, roll up, roll up! Bring your purple socks, your broken heart, your rose-colored innocence… marvel in the hall of mirrors. There'll be loud guitars, deep bass, some ecstatic rhythms, and yes — some silver tears too!" He went on to say that all kinds of monsters lurk beyond the carnival, "so we beat the drums louder, build the bonfires higher, tell the stories wilder and funnier, write the melodies sweeter, and make the songs shine brighter — because if the world's going dark, we'd better not be."
The full tracklist for 'Carnaval De Luz' is: "Go (Carnaval De Luz)," "La Reina," "Street Of Dreams," "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)," "Superficiality," "If The World Is At War We Better Not Be," "Silencio," "The Greatest Show On Earth," "Glorify," "Midnight Sunshine," "Can't Stop Us Now," and "Torn (Feat. Dolly Parton)."
U2's last album of all-new material, 'Songs Of Experience,' came out in 2017, followed by 'Songs Of Surrender' in 2023, a reimagining of the band's classic tracks. Signs of this new album were already brewing back in 2024, when The Edge revealed it wouldn't be a "straightforward rock album." Last summer, Bono also said he felt "ready to face the future," noting the band had 25 complete songs in hand.
U2's recent activities include being named MusiCares' 2027 Person of the Year, and covering The Pogues' "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" for a tribute album honoring Shane MacGowan. This year they also collaborated with Martin Garrix on the single "Fireflies," and for Dolly Parton's 80th birthday, Bono sent a bagpiper to perform in her honor, paying tribute to his longtime friend.
