Dolly Parton and U2 Release "Torn," a Duet Recorded Before Her Death

A new song pairing Dolly Parton with U2 has been released, months after the country singer's death. Billboard reported on 13 November 2026 that "Torn" is a duet between Parton and U2 frontman Bono.

The song is a posthumous release, meaning it came out after the artist's death. Parton died on 25 August at the age of 80. The track was co-written by U2, Parton and Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid, according to Billboard.

"Torn" closes U2's album Carnaval De Luz, a title that translates to "Carnival of Light." Billboard describes it as the band's sixteenth studio album, meaning a full set of new recordings rather than a live album or compilation. It is also U2's first album of new material in nine years.

Parton recorded her vocals in June, about two months before she died. She approved the final mix of the song before her death. Billboard describes "Torn" as her last recorded vocal performance.

More than one version exists. Billboard lists the "Kent Wells Version" and the "T Bone Burnett Take" among the releases, so listeners may come across different mixes of the same song.

Parton's career spanned more than six decades. She was born on 19 January 1946 in a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children, according to her official website. She released her first single, "Puppy Love," and moved to Nashville in 1964. She joined The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967 and later launched her own television show, Dolly, in 1976.

She won Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976, and Entertainer of the Year in 1978. She opened the Dollywood theme park in 1986 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Her Imagination Library, which mails free books to children, began in the 1990s.

U2 have been touring too. On 12 November 2026, the band announced on its official news page that a second show in Seville and a third in Barcelona had been added to The Greatest Show On Earth world tour. The band's news archive lists 4,788 stories published since 1976.

For listeners, the simplest way to hear the collaboration is to start with the album's closing track. "Torn" joins two very different careers in one recording, with the final vocal from one of country music's best-known voices sitting alongside a rock band's new album.