U2’s 50 years: New album features Dolly Parton duet and Larry Mullen Jr.’s return

A band begins at school

U2’s beginnings trace back to Mount Temple in 1976, when Larry Mullen Jr. put a note on the school bulletin board seeking bandmates. Bono recalled feeling nervous about going out to meet the students.

The four musicians came together through word of mouth. Adam Clayton said the note later became legendary, although none of the band members had seen it themselves and they learned about it from friends.

New music after a long gap

U2 has released “Carnaval de Luz,” its first album of new music in nearly nine years. Bono described the making of the record as chaotic, while The Edge said the band continued changing and developing the music almost until it was in stores.

The group calls the album one of “defiant joy.” It features “Torn,” a duet with Dolly Parton that the report describes as her last recording. Bono said he approached singing with Parton with great trepidation, and called her one of the great songwriters who ever lived.

Mullen returns to the band

Mullen is back on the album after missing U2’s 2024 Sphere residency in Las Vegas because of a neck injury. He said a congenital fusion, after more than 50 years of movement, had taken its toll, and he was unsure he could return. The Edge said the band would have faced a difficult decision about U2’s future if Mullen had needed to retire.

Still seeking relevance

The Edge said whether U2 remains relevant is not for the band to decide, but the group can choose whether to keep trying. Bono said U2 believes it is at its best and challenged anyone who thinks otherwise to take its place.