Check out Dolly Parton’s “traditional country version” of new U2 duet ‘Torn’

Uma “versão country tradicional” da última música gravada de Dolly Parton, um dueto com a U2 intitulado ‘Torn’, foi lançada junto ao novo álbum da banda – escute ambas as versões abaixo.

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The emotional ballad closes U2’s 16th studio album ‘Carnaval De Luz’, which is out today (November 13), and features the late country star trading vocals with Bono.

An alternative recording, titled ‘Torn (Kent Wells Version)’, also arrived today, having received its premiere on US country radio yesterday (November 12). The version takes a more traditional country approach to the song, in contrast to the atmospheric arrangement on U2’s album.

As duas gravações apresentam cenários contrastantes para a última performance vocal de Parton, com sua voz distinta no centro de uma canção que aborda relações familiares fracturadas por divisões políticas.

Ouça ambas as versões de 'Torn' aqui.

Speaking to The Sun, Bono explained the differences between the recordings, saying: “We did something similar with Johnny Cash. If you think about Larry’s drum part, it’s more of a sci-fi country landscape.”.

The track was co-written by U2, Parton and Snow Patrol‘s Johnny McDaid, with Daniel Lanois contributing pedal steel guitar and Jacknife Lee producing the album version.

Bono revelou que a colaboração surgiu depois que o U2 inicialmente abordou Parton sobre contribuir com outro material.

Parton’s original idea was a traditional country song about a woman torn between two lovers, but U2 subsequently reworked it to explore the damage caused by political disagreements within families.

The finished song takes the perspective of a mother caught between two estranged family members, with its lyrics expressing the pain of loving both sides of a seemingly irreconcilable dispute.

Parton gravou sua contribuição em Nashville em junho, apenas dois meses antes de morrer em 25 de agosto, aos 80 anos.

Meanwhile, in a new interview with NME, Bono and The Edge discussed how the band came to work with Parton while experimenting with material that was not initially intended for a U2 album.

O guitarrista também discutiu os temas do álbum mais abrangente, que segue os EPs politicamente carregados “Days Of Ash” e espiritualmente focados “Easter Lily” da banda, lançados no início deste ano.

In NME‘s three-star review of the album, the record was praised for its renewed sense of energy, with the verdict that the band sound “more playful than preachy for the first time in a long time”.

U2 are also preparing to embark on their ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ world stadium tour in 2027, which will visit Latin America and Europe. Wolf Alice will be supporting at the UK and European dates, including four concerts at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June.

Tickets are on sale now – find yours here.

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