Overview
- U2 released their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, and closed the record with “Torn,” which the band says contains Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal.
- Parton recorded her vocal in Nashville in June 2026 while ill and, according to U2 and the album’s producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee, she approved the final mix before her death on Aug. 25, 2026.
- “Torn” was co-written by U2, Dolly Parton and Johnny McDaid and was reshaped by the band from Parton’s original treatment into a song about a family divided by political differences.
- The release includes multiple alternate treatments — a Kent Wells country version, a T Bone Burnett take, and the Jacknife Lee album mix — giving listeners different ways to hear Parton’s performance.
- Sources report the Parton estate and Dollywood hold an additional unreleased track reportedly sealed for release on her 100th birthday in 2046, underscoring ongoing archival control of her legacy.