U2 have released “Carnaval de Luz,” their first full-length album of original songs since 2017’s “Songs of Experience.” Issued on November 13 through Island Records and produced by Jacknife Lee, the band’s 16th studio album reunites Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. across 12 songs, ending with “Torn,” a duet featuring Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal performance.
U2 have returned with “Carnaval de Luz,” their first complete studio album of newly written material in nine years. Released on November 13, the record arrives during the year marking the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation and brings all four original members back together in the studio.
The timing gives the album an obvious connection to U2’s history. The band began in Dublin in September 1976 after Larry Mullen Jr. posted a notice at Mount Temple Comprehensive School looking for musicians. Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton soon became part of the group that developed from those early rehearsals.
Mullen’s return is particularly notable after he missed U2’s Sphere performances in Las Vegas while recovering from surgery. Bram van den Berg played drums during those shows, but “Carnaval de Luz” restores the familiar rhythm section of Mullen and Clayton.
Jacknife Lee produced the album, working with the band across arrangements that move between rock, pop, electronic textures and dance-influenced production. The record does not concentrate on recreating one specific period of U2’s catalog, instead drawing from several parts of their musical history.
Its title translates as “Carnival of Light,” and the songs deal with subjects including hope, friendship, spirituality, freedom and resilience. Bono has described the project as an attempt to make something brighter in response to a period marked by conflict and uncertainty.
The album is also linked to two earlier releases from the same creative period. “Days of Ash” and “Easter Lily,” both six-track EPs, arrived in February and April 2026. They are connected thematically to the new record and appear in selected deluxe editions, although they are not part of the standard album sequence.
“Go (Carnaval de Luz)” opens the record with a short, rhythm-led introduction before “La Reina” introduces Latin-influenced pop elements. “Street of Dreams,” released in July as the first single, follows with a more familiar melodic approach centered on the band’s established rock sound.
“The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)” places greater emphasis on The Edge’s guitar. The presence of Rosalía’s name in the title should not be treated as confirmation that the Spanish artist appears as a featured vocalist, as no such credit has been established in the information released with the album.
“Superficiality” moves closer to contemporary pop, while “If the World Is at War We Better Not Be” connects personal relationships with a wider concern about conflict and division.
“Silencio,” released in September, brings a different rhythmic character and includes additional production from Ryan Tedder. October single “The Greatest Show on Earth” features contributions from Brian Eno, who is credited with songwriting and synthesizers.
Eno also appears in the credits for “Go (Carnaval de Luz)” and “Can’t Stop Us Now,” extending a creative relationship with U2 that reaches back through some of the band’s most important albums.
The second half continues to shift between styles. “Glorify” includes a songwriting contribution from Martin Garrix, bringing an electronic influence into the album without turning the track into a straightforward dance production. “Midnight Sunshine” offers a more restrained change of pace before “Can’t Stop Us Now” returns to a fuller band performance.
The closing song, “Torn,” is a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton. Written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid, the song deals with damaged family relationships and the possibility of reconciliation. Daniel Lanois contributes pedal steel guitar, adding another long-standing U2 collaborator to the recording.
Parton recorded her vocals in Nashville in June 2026. She died on August 25 at the age of 80, making “Torn” her final recorded vocal performance. The song was not originally conceived as a farewell, but its meaning changed after her death.
A separate country version received a radio premiere on November 12, one day before the album was released.
There is also a difference between some published track listings. Island Records announced “Carnaval de Luz” as a 12-song album including “La Reina,” and several vinyl editions carry that full sequence. Some standard CD and vinyl listings on the official store display 11 tracks and omit the song.
The album arrives ahead of U2’s already announced 2027 tour, “Carnaval de Luz Presents: The Greatest Show on Earth.” The tour begins in Mexico City on February 23, with further dates scheduled across South America and other markets.
For now, “Carnaval de Luz” stands as U2’s first full album of new songs since 2017 and the first recent studio project to place Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. back together across a complete record. Its final track also gives the album an unexpected historical weight through Dolly Parton’s last recorded vocal performance.
