Arctic Monkeys are back! Band release new single Opening Night from upcoming charity album HELP(2) as they make long-awaited return

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Arctic Monkeys debuted their new song, “Opening Night,” on Thursday. It’s the first single from their forthcoming charity album, HELP(2).

This week, the Sheffield band – consisting of Alex Turner, Matt Helders, Jamie Cook, and Nick O’Malley – announced they’re back after a four-year break.

Opening Night is included on the collaborative album, HELP(2), which comes out on March 6th through War Child Records.

A short video posted on Instagram shows Alex working with his band in the studio, with a group of kids filming them.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by the creative process, and this album’s creation was particularly focused! It was mostly recorded in just one week at the legendary Abbey Road Studios back in November 2025, and the whole project was guided by the incredibly talented producer, James Ford.

The band announced in a press release that when James Ford asked them to contribute to the HELP(2) album, they immediately started working on a song and recorded it at Abbey Road Studios.

We’re thrilled to support the crucial work of War Child and hope this record helps improve the lives of children impacted by conflict.

This project takes inspiration from the 1995 HELP album, which successfully raised over £1.2 million to support children impacted by the conflict in Bosnia.

After thirty years, the need for humanitarian aid has grown significantly. Today, almost one in five children around the world live in areas affected by conflict.

All money earned from the album will help the charity provide urgent assistance, schooling, mental health care, and safety to children affected by conflict worldwide.

The Arctic Monkeys will be joined by a fantastic lineup of artists including Anna Calvi, Arlo Parks, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Greentea Peng, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, Wet Leg, and Young Fathers, among others.

Damon Albarn recorded ‘Flags’ with help from Johnny Marr, Kae Tempest, and Grian Chatten. Meanwhile, Olivia Rodrigo collaborated with Graham Coxon on her recording of ‘The Book of Love’.

Rich Clarke, who leads music at War Child UK, said that the HELP(2) project was ‘more than just an album.’ He highlighted it as a strong demonstration of the music industry coming together to support a good cause.

Earlier this week, Arctic Monkeys sent fans into meltdown when they officially announced new music. 

A brief video features a child running on the beach and into the ocean. It was posted with a message saying a new song from Arctic Monkeys will be released on Thursday at 3pm GMT, along with details about a project to help children affected by war.

The Arctic Monkeys haven’t toured or performed live since 2023. Their last concert was in Dublin, Ireland, during their tour for their album, The Car.

Ever since that album dropped in 2022, it’s been radio silence from everyone in the band! Seriously, none of them have put out anything on their own, and they’ve all just…disappeared from the public eye. It’s killing me! I need new music, anything from them, but it’s like they’ve vanished. I’m constantly checking for updates, but nothing! It’s so frustrating.

As a huge fan, I’ve been glued to social media and forums ever since they dropped the news about their new song. Everyone’s buzzing, and honestly, it’s a little scary! Some people are worried this might be their last song ever, while others are hoping it’s a hint that they’re planning one final album before potentially disbanding. It’s a really uncertain time, and we’re all just trying to figure out what’s going on.

One fan shared on Reddit that, according to rumors, this will be the band’s last song.

‘A day before the 20th anniversary of the first record too. Rounding things out nicely’;

‘Hoping they’ll do a final tour before disbanding if the rumors are true’;

I’m still hoping for a new album, even if it ends up being their last. It would be great to see them have a real farewell with a full album, not just a single song. Plus, Alex Turner also needs to complete the planned third album with Miles Kane as The Last Shadow Puppets.

Many fans are excited about the upcoming new song, with one sharing, ‘In just 31 hours, we’ll finally hear new music from Arctic Monkeys for the first time in three and a half years!’

Arctic Monkeys released a new song, ‘I’ve Prayed for Times Like These,’ on Thursday, and fans are incredibly excited!

The band’s most recent albums have seen them head more in a rock direction.

Pelle Almqvist, singer for The Hives, discussed their evolving sound and emphasized the importance of continuing to create music that genuinely resonates with the band.

When asked about his sometimes controversial albums, he previously shared with Music Week that he believes artists should follow their instincts. He feels everything they’ve created has been worthwhile, even though it explores various musical styles.

It’s understandable that people might prefer one album over another, but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter.

They’re just following their own creative vision, and I enjoy everything they make.

Fans at Glastonbury were surprised and let down in 2023 when the Arctic Monkeys played their popular songs at a much slower tempo.

Everyone was excited for the band’s 90-minute performance as the headliner, but the show didn’t really impress the audience – one person was even spotted yawning!

Alex, the lead singer, performed a lot of popular Arctic Monkeys songs like “Mardy Bum” and “R U Mine?”, but the audience seemed puzzled and unsure about what was happening with the band.

Alex, the band’s lead singer who recently battled a severe sore throat, performed many of their popular songs at a slower pace than usual. Some fans said this made it hard to sing along.

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2026-01-22 19:09