In 1995, Paul McCartney, Blur, Radiohead, Oasis, Massive Attack, Sinéad O’Connor, and more legendary acts got together and recorded tracks for The Help Album to raise over a million dollars for the global children's charity War Child UK. Now, HELP(2) is coming, and it features Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Cameron Winter, Pulp, Depeche Mode, Damon Albarn, Beck, and more.
The original Help was famously recorded in 24 hours, days prior to its release. In that spirit the new collection was recorded in just a few days at Abbey Road Studios with executive producer 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, Nilüfer Yanya, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, and Young Fathers. Ford says:
I felt incredibly honored when War Child asked me to work on HELP(2). 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’m extremely proud of the results and of the efforts made by all involved. I can’t wait for people to hear this very special record.
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.
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); Anna Calvi, Nilüfer 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." Fontaines D.C. took on "Black Boys On Mopeds" by Sinéad O'Connor, who was on the original Help album.
Jonathan Glazer served as Creative Director for HELP2 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.
Arctic Monkeys' "Opening Night" is the band's first new music since 2022. Word of new material from the band has 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. Check it out below.
TRACKLIST:
01 Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
02 Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – “Flags”
03 Black Country, New Road – “Strangers”
04 The Last Dinner Party – “Let’s do it again!”
05 Beth Gibbons – “Sunday Morning”
06 Arooj Aftab & Beck – “Lilac Wine”
07 King Krule – “The 343 Loop”
08 Depeche Mode – “Universal Soldier”
09 Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – “Helicopters”
10 Arlo Parks – “Nothing I Could Hide”
11 English Teacher & Graham Coxon – “Parasite”
12 Beabadoobee – “Say Yes”
13 Big Thief – “Relive, Redie”
14 Fontaines D.C. – “Black Boys on Mopeds”
15 Cameron Winter – “Warning”
16 Young Fathers – “Don’t Fight the Young”
17 Pulp – “Begging for Change”
18 Sampha – “Naboo”
19 Wet Leg – “Obvious”
20 Foals – “When the War is Finally Done”
21 Bat For Lashes – “Carried my girl”
22 Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”
23 Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”
HELP(2) is out 3/6 via War Child Records. Pre-order it here.
