Overview
- U2 issued their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, on Friday, November 13, 2026, with the closing track 'Torn' credited as Dolly Parton’s last recorded vocal.
- Parton recorded her vocal in Nashville in June 2026 while ill and, according to producers and the band, listened to and approved the final mix before her death on August 25, 2026.
- 'Torn' was co‑written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid and was reworked by Bono and McDaid into lyrics that frame a mother watching her family fall apart as a wider comment on political division.
- Multiple alternate treatments of the song were released alongside the album, including a Kent Wells traditional country version and a T Bone Burnett take, with Daniel Lanois supplying pedal steel and Garret 'Jacknife' Lee producing.
- U2 says the album will be supported by touring plans next year, and the release has renewed focus on Parton’s legacy and estate choices for future archival material.