U2 set 13 November release for energetic new album featuring Dolly Parton
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New details confirm U2’s 12-track album *Carnaval de Luz* will be released on 13 November, including the closing song “Torn”, which features Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal performance. The album’s full tracklist and further comments from the band highlight an unusually energetic, punk-influenced direction, led by the newly released single “Silencio”.
It is U2’s first album of new songs in nine years and arrives as the band marks 50 years since first playing together. Produced by Garret “Jacknife” Lee, it includes contributions from Brian Eno, Johnny McDaid, Martin Garrix and Ryan Tedder; together with two earlier surprise EPs, it forms a linked 24-song project, while Larry Mullen Jr.’s return after a serious neck injury helped renew the group’s creative momentum.
- U2’s first new album in nine years arrives on 13 November.
- “Torn” features Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal.
- The album forms part of a 24-song project with two earlier EPs.
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U2 is one of the world's largest rock bands, formed in Dublin in the mid-1970s and a dominant force in popular music for decades. The group has sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide and is known for ambitious songwriting and touring.
The band has not released a full album of new songs in nine years, making any new material from them a significant event. They are also marking 50 years since the members first played together, which adds to the milestone nature of what comes next.
This new album is notable for featuring a collaboration with American country music legend Dolly Parton on its closing track, marking her final recorded vocal performance. The project also comes after drummer Larry Mullen Jr. recovered from a serious neck injury, and the band has adopted a notably more energetic, punk-influenced direction for the work.
Full account
The Irish rock ensemble U2 have announced 13 November as the release date for Carnaval De Luz, their sixteenth studio album and the group's first original full-length record in approximately nine years. The revelation coincides with the band's fiftieth anniversary, marked since their formation in 1976. The announcement arrived alongside the unveiling of 'Silencio,' presented as the second single from the forthcoming project, which demonstrates a forceful, guitar-driven aesthetic that marks a substantial stylistic departure from their intervening catalogue.
Producer Jacknife Lee oversaw the recording sessions that produced Carnaval De Luz, undertaken in studios and locations across the globe. The album demonstrates considerable musical experimentation, incorporating influences from post-punk traditions and carnival celebration themes. Thematically, the material engages with spiritual concerns, interpersonal relationships, artistic liberty, and resilience when confronted with adverse circumstances. The instrumentation privileges distorted guitars throughout the mix, and The Edge has highlighted an unprecedented decision to employ flat-wound strings in the band's recording history. Bono has characterised the work as anarchic in disposition, reflecting an urgent and provocative sensibility that distinguishes it markedly from their previous output.
The twelve-song collection assembles a notable roster of collaborators and contributors. Brian Eno, a frequent partner across the band's catalogue, supplied synthesiser performance and co-writing on several pieces, including the opening track. Additional compositional credits involve figures including Martin Garrix, Ryan Tedder, Daniel Lanois, and Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol. The project's concluding song, 'Torn,' marks the final recorded vocal appearance by country music figure Dolly Parton, who passed away recently. A collaboration with Spanish performer Rosalía features within the album's track listing. These songs originated from the same sessions that yielded two earlier extended-play releases—Days of Ash and Easter Lily, released earlier in 2024—which collectively comprise twenty-four newly written compositions.
The band's prolific creative period was substantially enabled by drummer Larry Mullen Jr.'s recovery from a serious neck ailment that had previously prevented him from recording or performing. The renewed opportunity to work together in a shared studio environment reinvigorated the group, according to producer Lee, who characterised the sessions as unusually productive and marked by creative harmony. The album follows the band's recent elevation to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and their selection as 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year. The ensemble has undertaken additional collaborative ventures in this period, including guest contributions to forthcoming tribute albums and newly released material with external artists.
Where outlets differ
Track count: Source 1 specifies 12 tracks; sources 2 and 3 do not provide this detail
Creative catalyst: Source 1 emphasises Mullen's injury recovery as primary source of renewed energy; sources 2 and 3 omit this entirely
Video details: Source 2 extensively describes 'Silencio' video (Mexico City location, Cliqua directors, dancehall setting); sources 1 and 3 mention the video more briefly
'Torn' emphasis: Source 2 characterises it as addressing broken family relationships; source 3 calls it a 'closing duet'; source 1 simply notes Parton's final vocal
Lyrical quotation: Source 3 quotes explicit language from 'Silencio' second verse; sources 1 and 2 do not include these specific lyrics
Contextual additions: Source 3 alone mentions MusiCares honour, Fireflies collaboration, and Shane MacGowan tribute involvement; sources 1 and 2 omit these details
More coverage
- Billboard — U2 to Mark 50 Years As a Band With New Album ‘Carnaval De Luz,’ Featuring Dolly Parton’s Final Vocals
- Stereogum — U2 Announce New Album Carnaval de Luz Feat. Dolly Parton: Hear “Silencio”
- Consequence — U2 Announce New Album Carnaval De Luz, Unveil New Song “Silencio”: Stream
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “U2 Announce New Album, ‘Carnaval de Luz,’ Out Nov. 13”.