Sudan-born, LA-based singer, songwriter, and sometimes actor Dua Saleh has been in the pop/R&B game for a while now, releasing their debut album I Should Call Them back in 2024. Now, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon is on board for Saleh's sophomore album Of Earth & Wires, which arrives in May. The album includes three tracks featuring Bon Iver, and two of them — "Flood" and "Glow" — are out today.
Of Earth & Wires was executive produced by Billy Lemos, whose previous credits include SZA, Paris Texas, and Tinashe. Of today's new tracks, Saleh says:
These songs came together organically while creating in Minneapolis. What started as a session tied to a Travis Scott track opened into a free-flowing jam with local producers, including Psymun. I sat back with Psymun’s dog, Synth, listening as a beat took shape, while I turned over melodies and words in my head.
“Flood” formed first. Justin freestyled the hook in the moment, and I later wrote to the beat. Watching his cathartic process and hearing the emotion move through his voice pushed me to confront parts of my past I hadn’t fully faced. The flood became an allegory for staying afloat rather than drowning in grief, shaped in part by memories of experiencing climate-related flooding while living in Cardiff, Wales.
“Glow” emerged from that same openness. The session felt unusually fluid. We were all writing together, following instinct. Justin’s enthusiasm, emotional honesty, and melodic intuition made everything feel effortless. What stayed with me most was how he continued to show up afterward, excited by the demos, retracking vocals, and helping shape arrangements as the songs evolved. I’m deeply grateful for the care he brought into this process, and I hope we find our way back into rooms like that again.
Saleh was raised in Minneapolis, which isn't too far from Vernon's home of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; on Sunday night at the Grammys, Vernon wore an "ICE Out" pin along with a whistle "to represent all the observers in Minneapolis." (He lost both his Grammy nominations to the Cure.) Meanwhile the festival Vernon co-founded, Eaux Claires, is teasing their 2026 lineup.
Hear Vernon duet with Saleh on "Flood" and "Glow" below, and see the full album tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 "5 Days"
02 "B r e a t h e"
03 "Flood" (Feat. Bon Iver)
04 "Cállate"
05 "Firestorm"
06 "I Do, I Do"
07 "Keep Away" (Feat. Bon Iver)
08 "Glow" (Feat. Bon Iver)
09 "Speed Up"
10 "Anemic" (Feat. Gaidaa)
11 "ALL IS LOVE" (feat. aja monet)
Of Earth & Wires is out 5/15 via Ghostly International.
