U2 have announced a new album, and it comes with a cover photo of Bono in a top hat. The band’s 12-track LP, Carnaval de Luz, arrives November 13 on Island Records. It marks nearly nine years since Songs of Experience, their last full studio album of new material.
The record was produced by Jackknife Lee, who has worked on U2’s recent records. Brian Eno played keyboards on three tracks, and Daniel Lanois played pedal steel on one. That last detail raises a question the band’s staff openly admits to: why not just bring back Eno and Lanois as producers?
The Dolly Parton Track
“Torn” features Dolly Parton’s final vocal performance. U2 co-wrote the song with Parton and Johnny McDaid, a member of Snow Patrol and a collaborator with Ed Sheeran.
The song sits at track 12 on the running order. It closes the album with Parton’s presence.
What’s on the Record
The album runs 12 tracks, and the band has confirmed several of them:
- “Go (Carnaval de Luz)” opens the record.
- “Street of Dreams” follows, and it was released as the lead single in July.
- “The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)” appears at track 4, though the press release admits it does not feature Rosalía.
- “Silencio” is the lead single, a 2:35 homage to early surf-punk insolence per the press release.
- “Torn” closes the record with Parton’s vocals.
“There will be loud guitars, deep bass, some ecstatic rhythms and, yes, some silver tears will make an appearance!”
The Edge’s String Detail
The Edge added that the record features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording. It is a technical detail that matters to guitarists, even if it does not change what listeners hear.
The Statement From Bono
Bono wrote a statement alongside the announcement. It touches on the themes of the record, which he frames as a response to darkness in the world.
He describes the album as a carnival of light, and he explains why the band made the drums louder and the melodies sweeter.
“‘Cause in the near distance just outside our carnival of light there are all kinds of creatures… the same imagination that brings us our creativity can also bring us monsters.”
The Staff Joke
The announcement includes a note from the Stereogum staff about the Rosalía song. They admit it briefly drove them into confusion, since the track does not feature Rosalía.
The Video for “Silencio”
The Cliqua-directed video for “Silencio” sees Bono ditching the top hat from the cover. Instead, he borrows Edge’s cowboy hat. The staff notes that Bono probably owns his own cowboy hat, and that all four members of U2 likely have generous cowboy hat budgets.
The video is available now, and the joke is that Bono’s costume changes between the cover and the clip.
The Running Order
The full tracklist runs as follows:
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 01 | Go (Carnaval de Luz) |
| 02 | La Reina |
| 03 | Street of Dreams |
| 04 | The Mirror Maker (Rosalía) |
| 05 | Superficiality |
| 06 | If the World Is at War We Better Not Be |
| 07 | Silencio |
| 08 | The Greatest Show on Earth |
| 09 | Glorify |
| 10 | Midnight Sunshine |
| 11 | Can’t Stop Us Now |
| 12 | Torn (feat. Dolly Parton) |
Our Take
The announcement reads like a band that wants to be funny while staying serious. The top hat cover is a visual gag, the Rosalía confusion is a staff joke, and the decision to bring back Eno and Lanois as players but not producers is a practical choice.
The album itself is a 12-track record with a clear identity. It is U2 doing what U2 do, with guest vocals from Parton and a production approach that leans on flat-wound strings.
The lead single, “Silencio,” is described as a homage to early surf-punk insolence. It is a strange description for a late-period U2 song, but the band has never been afraid of strangeness.
The record is out November 13. Pre-orders are live now.
Source material: “U2 Announce New Album Carnaval de Luz Feat. Dolly Parton: Hear “Silencio”,” Stereogum.
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