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In 1995, Paul McCartney, Blur, Radiohead, Oasis, Massive Attack, Sin\u00e9ad O\u2019Connor, and more legendary acts got together and recorded tracks for The Help Album<\/em> in a single day to raise over a million dollars for the global children’s charity War Child UK. Now, HELP(2)<\/em> is here, and it features Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Cameron Winter, Pulp, Depeche Mode, Damon Albarn, Beck, and more.<\/p>\n HELP(2)<\/em> was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with James Ford. Other artists who contributed are Anna Calvi, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell, English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Greentea Peng, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Nil\u00fcfer Yanya, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, and Young Fathers. Ford says:<\/p>\n I felt incredibly honored when War Child asked me to work on HELP(2)<\/em>. The original HELP meant a lot to me and to have the opportunity, given the current news cycle, to help galvanize our music community into doing something as unarguably positive as helping children in war zones seemed like a no brainer. The experience of making the album itself has been very powerful, and dare I say life affirming for me personally, against the backdrop of a very difficult year. I\u2019m extremely proud of the results and of the efforts made by all involved. I can\u2019t wait for people to hear this very special record.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some musicians used the opportunity to collaborate. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest went into the studio together for “Flags” with Johnny Marr, Dave Okumu, and Portishead’s Adrian Utley on guitar; Gorillaz’s Seye Adelekan on bass; Femi Koleoso from Ezra Collective on drums; and a choir consisting of Jarvis Cocker, Marr, Carl Barat, Declan McKenna, English Teacher, Black Country, New Road, Marika Hackman, Rosa Walton, and Nadia Kadek.<\/p>\n Olivia Rodrigo was joined by Graham Coxon for her cover of the Magnetic Fields’ “The Book Of Love” (which was also recently covered by Chappell Roan and Lucy Dacus<\/a>); Anna Calvi, Nil\u00fcfer Yanya, and Dove Ellis teamed up for the new song “Sunday Light,” which also has Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell. Cameron Winter invited cellist Amy Langley for “Warning.”<\/p>\n Jonathan Glazer served as Creative Director for HELP2<\/em> and focused on the concept “By Children, For Children,” handing cameras over to kids and connecting with fixers and filmmakers in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan to collect footage filmed by children on the ground in these conflict zones.<\/p>\n Arctic Monkeys’ “Opening Night” is the band’s first new music since 2022. Rumors of new material have been swirling for weeks, along with the rumor that it’s their farewell. There’s no information on that front yet. “Opening Night” serves as the lead single from HELP2<\/em>. Check it out below.<\/p>\n\n