Arctic Monkeys return with ‘Opening Night’ on War Child’s star-studded “HELP(2)” album
Arctic Monkeys have released a new single, “Opening Night,” marking their first new music since 2022’s The Car and launching War Child’s newly announced charity compilation HELP(2). The track arrives as the opening statement of a project that brings together some of the most influential names in British and global music, all in support of children affected by conflict.
“Opening Night” was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by James Ford, a longtime Arctic Monkeys collaborator. The song feels measured and reflective, leaning into the band’s recent fascination with cinematic restraint rather than loud revivalism. It sets a thoughtful tone for HELP(2), which aims to balance artistic integrity with urgent purpose.
View this post on Instagram
HELP(2) follows the legacy of War Child’s 1995 compilation HELP, a landmark release that captured a defining moment in British music culture while raising funds for humanitarian aid. This new edition updates that idea for a fractured present. The album features new material from artists spanning generations and styles, including Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Depeche Mode, Fontaines D.C., The Last Dinner Party, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Wet Leg, Sampha, Foals and Young Fathers. Several tracks also pair unexpected collaborators, such as Damon Albarn with Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest, and Beck alongside Arooj Aftab.
The album took shape over one intensive week at Abbey Road in November 2025. Jonathan Glazer oversaw the visual side of the project, working with children inside the studio and in conflict zones including Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan. Those images form part of a broader “By Children, For Children” concept that runs through the release.
For Arctic Monkeys, “Opening Night” reads less like a comeback statement and more like a quiet contribution to something larger. Within the context of HELP(2), that restraint feels deliberate. The compilation positions music not as spectacle, but as a shared cultural response to ongoing humanitarian crises, echoing how artists once rallied around causes without diluting their creative voice.
HELP(2) is set for release on March 6 via War Child Records. Pre-order here, and listen to “Opening Night” below.
Tracklist: HELP(2)
You can check out the HELP(2) tracklist in full below:
- Arctic Monkeys – ‘Opening Night’
- Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest – ‘Flags’
- Black Country, New Road – ‘Strangers’
- The Last Dinner Party – ‘Let’s do it again!’
- Beth Gibbons – ‘Sunday Morning’
- Arooj Aftab and Beck – ‘Lilac Wine’
- King Krule – ‘The 343 Loop’
- Depeche Mode – ‘Universal Soldier’
- Ezra Collective ans Greentea Peng – ‘Helicopters’
- Arlo Parks – ‘Nothing I Could Hide’
- English Teacher and Graham Coxon – ‘Parasite’
- Beabadoobee – ‘Say Yes’
- Big Thief – ‘Relive, Redie’
- Fontaines D.C. – ‘Black Boys on Mopeds’
- Cameron Winter – ‘Warning’
- Young Fathers – ‘Don’t Fight the Young’
- Pulp – ‘Begging for Change’
- Sampha – ‘Naboo’
- Wet Leg – ‘Obvious’
- Foals – ‘When the War is Finally Done’
- Bat For Lashes – ‘Carried my girl’
- Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya and Dove Ellis – ‘Sunday Light’
- Olivia Rodrigo – ‘The Book of Love’
What do you make of Arctic Monkeys’ return and the HELP(2) line-up? Join the conversation on X/Twitter, and explore more music and culture stories at CelebMix.