U2 has released their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, which features "Torn," the final recorded vocal performance by the late Dolly Parton.
The track, a duet between Parton and U2 frontman Bono, serves as the closing song on the album, which was released Friday, November 13.
The collaboration came about after the band sent Parton several folk songs they were developing for the project. According to Bono, Parton felt the band’s initial offerings were “a little too Irish” for her voice at that time. Instead, the country music icon offered the band an existing song she had written titled “Torn.”
“Basically she said, your songs are too Irish for me. So, what about this one?” guitarist The Edge said of the exchange.
The development of the track began when the band sought to unify the album’s narrative. “We were looking for something to unify our album because it would be nice if when the characters in our album could deal with what’s going on in the outside world,” Bono said. The band initially shared folk material, including a song titled “Lifelong” that Bono played for Parton over the phone.
After Parton suggested they work on her song instead, the band transformed the composition. “So, when we sent it back, it was very different. It was a kind of sci-fi country soundscape,” Bono said. The song, which details the narrative of two brothers who have stopped speaking, was co-written by Parton, U2, and Johnny McDaid.
Parton recorded her vocals for the track in Nashville this June, shortly before she died on August 25, 2026, at age 80. Bono said that Parton was ill when she recorded the song, adding, “When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song. And you can hear that.”
In a message sent to Bono on June 2, Parton expressed her belief in the project, writing, “I love the song, and I think it could be something really special.” She further told the band, “Hope you like what I did. I did quite a few things. Thanks for including me in your life. I’ve always loved you and always will.”
The final track features a diverse array of musicians. The production was handled by Jacknife Lee, with Kent Wells serving as co-producer and producer of Parton’s vocals.
The arrangement includes pedal steel by Daniel Lanois, acoustic guitar by Kent Wells, additional electric guitar by Derek Wells, steel guitar by Scotty Sanders, keyboards by Dane Bryant, additional bass guitar by Glenn Worf, and additional drums and percussion by Nir Z. The track was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ahead of the album’s release, a “Country Version” of the track—titled “Torn (Kent Wells Version)”—received an exclusive world premiere across multiple radio platforms on Thursday, November 12. This version is being promoted by Big Machine Records. The release marks the final entry in the discography of the 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist, whose career spanned across 11 number one albums.
