Arctic Monkeys new song: Boys from Sheffield release first new track since 2022 for War Child charity album
Arctic Monkeys have released their first new track in four years as part of an industry-spanning charity album in aid of child affected by war.
The boys from Sheffield have debuted ‘Opening Night,’ the first song on new compilation record HELP(2) - a sequel to War Child’s critically acclaimed 1995 album released at the height of the Bosnian War.
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The album released 29 years ago brought together A-list artists like Radiohead, Sinéad O’Connor and a supergroup of Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller to raise £1.2m for children affected by conflict.
Now, Arctic Monkeys has today (January 22) put out the first single from the new charity record, with the album expected on March 6 and featuring a similarly star-studded line-up, including Olivia Rodrigo, Fontaines DC, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, and Depeche Mode.
Sheffield superstars Pulp also feature on the album, with a yet unreleased track titled Begging For Change.
Arctic Monkeys, whose debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ turns 20 this week, said in a statement: “We are proud to support the invaluable work War Child do and hope the record will make a positive difference to the lives of children affected by war.”
The new track is a departure from much of Arctic Monkeys’ former work, featuring an electronic bass intro that ticks throughout the song, and a guitar hook reminiscent of The Doors.
War Child estimates that one in five children globally are affected by war, around 520 million children.