U2 album closes with Dolly Parton's final recorded duet
The track features vocals recorded in June, months before the singer died in August from cancer.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
The Irish rock band U2 released their 16th studio album, titled "Carnaval de Luz" or "Carnival of Light," on Friday. The record concludes with a duet between the band's lead singer, Bono, and Dolly Parton. This performance marks Parton's final recorded vocal work.
Dolly Parton, an 11-time Grammy winner, passed away from cancer in August of this year. Her last vocal session took place in Nashville in June. In that session, she recorded her parts for the song "Torn." The track serves as the closing number on the new album.
Parton co-wrote the song, which addresses broken family ties, with U2 and Irish singer-songwriter Johnny McDaid. The composition blends folk elements with country influences. The final lyrics of the song state, "Every heart is torn." This line resonated with fans following the news of her death.
Bono explained the origin of the collaboration in an interview with Rolling Stone published in September. He noted that Parton had been ill during the recording process. "When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song. And you can hear that," he said. He added that the emotional weight of the performance makes it difficult for him to listen to it now.
The band's guitarist and vocalist, The Edge, discussed the project on the "Today" show on Friday. He said the group was experimenting with various collaborations. One idea involved working with Parton. Bono recalled sending Parton several folk songs they were developing. He played a track called "Lifelong" to her over the phone.
Parton responded that "Lifelong" was too Irish for her current vocal style. She then suggested her own composition, "Torn." She told Bono he could take the song in any direction he chose. Bono stated that he believes "Torn" is the appropriate song to end the album "Carnaval de Luz."
An image shared on Instagram by Parton's official account shows a message she sent to Bono on June 2. In the text, she wrote, "Hope you like what I did. I did quite a few things. Take from it what you want and what you need, but I love the song, and I think it could be something really special." She also thanked him for including her in his life, adding that she has always loved him and always will.
