U2 have announced their long-awaited new album ‘Carnaval De Luz’ – listen to new single ‘Silencio’ below.
Set for release on November 13, the new record marks the 16th full-length project from U2 and the first album of new material from the band in nine years.
Produced by Jacknife Lee, the 12-song collection tackles themes of spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance, and comes on the heels of the group surprise releasing two six-track EPs earlier this year: ‘Days Of Ash’ and ‘Easter Lily’.
Both of those EPs followed the liturgical calendar, as does this album, which sits before them in the timeline – referring to Carnival, a celebration of the flesh that comes before Lent, a period of reflection, and the rebirth of Easter.
Musically, the record mirrors some of U2’s most experimental work, and today (Thursday September 24) the band have dropped the latest taster of the album in the form of playful, energetic lead single ‘Silencio’.
As well as marking their first album of new material in nearly a decade, ‘Carnaval De Luz’ also arrives on the 50th anniversary of the band forming, and features ‘Torn’ – a duet between Bono and the late Dolly Parton, in what is her last recorded vocal performance.
Other collaborations come from Brian Eno, who co-wrote and provided synthesisers for ‘Go (Carnaval De Luz)’, Martin Garrix on ‘Glorify’, Daniel Lanois on ‘Torn’ and additional production from Ryan Tedder.
“It’s a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs – and features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording. Just saying,” The Edge said.
Bono added: “Roll up, roll up, roll up! Bring your purple socks, your broken hearts, your rose-tinted naivety… oh be amazed in the hall of mirrors. There will be loud guitars, deep bass, some ecstatic rhythms and, yes, some silver tears will make an appearance!”
He continued: “Because 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. So we make the drums louder. We build a bigger fire. We make our stories wilder and funnier. We make the melodies sweeter and the songs, they better shine, because if the world is in darkness we better not be.”
Check out the full tracklist below, which also includes the previously released single ‘Street Of Dreams’, and the new music video for ‘Silencio’ which was recorded in Mexico City by Cliqua, Pasqual Gutiérrez and Raúl “RJ” Sanchez above.
The tracklist for U2’s ‘Carnaval De Luz’ is:
‘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)’
U2 have been teasing a new album as far back as 2024, when The Edge said it would not be “a straight-up rock thing”. Bono then shared last summer that he was “ready for the future” with U2, with the band having written “25 great songs”.
When discussing the writing process earlier last year, the frontman said U2 were overcoming the past to make “the sound of the future”. He reasoned: “Nobody needs a new U2 album unless it’s an extraordinary one. I’m feeling very strong about it.”
U2’s previous album, ‘Songs Of Experience’, arrived in 2017. Their collection of reimagined classics, ‘Songs Of Surrender’, was then released in 2023.
The band were named MusiCares’ 2027 Persons Of The Year recently, and they also shared a cover of The Pogues’ ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’, which they recorded for an upcoming Shane MacGowan tribute album.
Also this year, they joined forces with Martin Garrix for the collaborative single ‘Fireflies’, and also paid tribute to Dolly Parton after years of friendship – which included Bono sending a bagpiper to play for her on her 80th birthday.
