Dolly Parton Featured on New U2 Album in Her Final Recording
The late country music icon Dolly Parton, who passed away in August at the age of 80, is featured on the upcoming 16th studio album by Irish rock band U2. Universal Music announced that the album, titled Carnaval De Luz, will be released on November 13 as the band’s first collection of new material in nine years.
Recording the Final Track in Los Angeles and Beyond
Parton recorded her vocals for the album’s concluding track, titled “Torn,” during a session in June. According to Universal Music, this collaboration marks the final recorded singing performance of Parton’s storied career. U2 frontman Bono, 66, told the Rolling Stone magazine about the intense dedication Parton showed during the recording process. As her health declined, she got out of bed to sing the track.
“When she krank wurde,” Bono recounted to the magazine, translating his remarks on her drive, she stood up to lay down the vocals with complete commitment. “She sang with all her heart,” Bono said, expressing astonishment at the vigor of an 80-year-old artist. The song itself is a poignant country ballad exploring broken family relationships, co-written by U2, Parton, and Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol.
An Unplanned Collaboration Born from a Phone Call
The partnership came together after Bono initially reached out to Parton for a separate, unreleased project inspired by Irish folk music. After playing her musical sketches over the telephone, Parton declined the folk direction as too distinctly Irish. Instead, she offered her own composition.
“She said: ‘I have a song. It’s called `Torn`. Would you care to maybe steer it in a different direction?'” Bono recalled. He and McDaid reworked the track, and Parton subsequently agreed to lend her voice to this new version. Reflecting on her passing, Bono noted that the intimate creative moments shared with such an extraordinary personality are now irretrievable outside of her recorded legacy.
A Milestone Release for U2
The arrival of Carnaval De Luz coincides with a major milestone for the band, marking the 50th year of U2’s history. Universal Music confirmed that the album arrives on November 13, bringing together the enduring legacy of an iconic Irish rock band and the final vocal gift of America’s most celebrated country music star.
