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Country music icon Dolly Parton has left fans with a poignant final recording, a duet with U2’s lead singer Bono, set to be released this fall. The track, titled “Torn,” will close out U2’s upcoming album Carnaval De Luz.
Parton recorded her vocals for the song in June, just two months before her passing at age 80 in August. Bono shared with Rolling Stone the profound dedication Parton showed, saying, “When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song.
And you can hear that. And I can’t even listen to it now.”
Co-written by Parton, U2, and Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid, “Torn” emerged from an unexpected creative exchange. Initially, Bono had approached Parton for a separate project inspired by Irish folk music.
After hearing the material over the phone, Parton felt it was “a little too Irish” for her taste. Instead, she offered “Torn,” a song she had written, and invited Bono and McDaid to explore where they could take it.
The collaborators reshaped the lyrics to tell the story of a mother witnessing her family’s unraveling. Parton then recorded the new version, delivering a heartfelt performance that Bono described as remarkable for an 80-year-old.
The track also features longtime U2 collaborator Daniel Lanois on pedal steel guitar. The drum pattern, played by U2’s Larry Mullen Jr., draws inspiration from Bob Dylan’s “Most of the Time,” a song Lanois produced on Dylan’s 1989 album Oh Mercy.
Importantly, Parton heard and approved the final cut before her death. Producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee revealed that the team worried she might not be comfortable with the finished song, but she “loved it” and was proud of her vocal contribution.
For Bono, the recording holds deep emotional significance. Reflecting on his connection with Parton, he said, “It’s very moving to have had these intimacies with such a figure… knowing she is no longer there to call, other than through her songs, is very sobering.”
“Torn” will appear as the closing track on Carnaval De Luz, U2’s first album of new material in nine years, scheduled for release this November. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the album features contributions from notable collaborators including Brian Eno, Martin Garrix, Ryan Tedder, and Daniel Lanois.
Alongside the album announcement, U2 released a new single titled “Silencio.” This follows their July single “Street of Dreams” and comes in the band’s 50th anniversary year, following surprise digital EPs Days of Ash and Easter Lily, which contain no overlap with the new album. With Carnaval De Luz, U2 will have released 24 new songs in 2026.
The album’s tracklist is as follows:
- “Go (Carnaval De Luz)”
- “La Reina”
- “Street Of Dreams”
- “The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)”
- “Superficiality”
- “If The World Is At War We Better Not Be”
- “Silencio”
- “The Greatest Show On Earth”
- “Glorify”
- “Midnight Sunshine”
- “Can’t Stop Us Now”
- “Torn” (feat.
Dolly Parton)
This collaboration stands as a moving tribute to Dolly Parton’s enduring artistry and legacy, marking a heartfelt conclusion to her remarkable career.