Featured image photographed by Phoebe Fox. Courtesy of War Child Records.
UNITED KINGDOM — In a recent announcement, War Child Records brings the upcoming release of “HELP(2)”. The brand new collaborative album, inspired by the landmark 1995 release “HELP”, picks up on its aim to engage music lovers globally in support of War Child’s vital work of delivering immediate aid, education, specialist mental health support, and protection to children affected by conflict around the world.
The new album, like the original, speaks to the urgency of the humanitarian situation globally today. On the lead up to its upcoming release on March 6, 2026, Arctic Monkeys just dropped the album’s first single “Opening Night”.
Photographed by Phoebe Fox. Image courtesy of War Child Records.
The hypnotic ballad, reminiscent of the band’s pop rock sensibilities, comes four years since frontman Alex Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, drummer Matt Helders, and bassist Nick O’Malley, last released music after their 10-song album “The Car”, released in 2022 and world tour in 2023 that included a stop in the Philippines.
In a press statement, Arctic Monkeys shared, “When James Ford called and asked if we’d contribute to the HELP(2) album we set to work on a song idea and assembled in Abbey Road to record it. 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.”
“HELP(2)” carries forward the spirit of the original “HELP” album and was brought to life through a close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios, recorded in one extraordinary week in November 2025 with Ford at the helm.
With Arctic Monkeys, the record is set to feature a line-up of contributors including Anna Calvi, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell, English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Greentea Peng, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Nilüfer Yanya, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg and Young Fathers.
The spirit of the original record was reflected in the collaborative nature of the recording process with numerous impromptu moments unfolding in the studio. As War Child Records shares, Damon Albarn’s session for the track “Flags” saw him joined by Johnny Marr on guitar and Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. on vocals; and Olivia Rodrigo was connected with Graham Coxon resulting in the guitarist performing on her cover of “The Book of Love”.
“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,” said in a statement.
Beyond the cast of musicians involved, renowned filmmaker and Academy Award Winner Jonathan Glazer was enlisted for his help as Creative Director, working with Academy Films to assemble a team of creatives, and overseeing the filming and art direction for the project. Glazer and Mica Levi’s concept was simple – “By Children, For Children” – with his team handing the cameras over to children in order to see the world through their eyes and serve as a constant reminder of the reason for the endeavor to the audience and all involved.
Each child operated their own small camera and was invited into the studios to film the artists recording without any restrictions. Glazer’s team also worked with fixers and filmmakers in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan to gather footage filmed by children on the ground in these conflict zones. The results are a stunning piece of work that, ultimately, connects the album to the children the music seeks to help.
“It has been such a privilege to be part of bringing a team together to film this incredible collective effort,” Glazer said.
Watch the album trailer below:
War Child has long been driven by a single goal of ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. Using 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, War Child aims to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stays long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery.
Together with its partners, War Child delivers vital work in 14 countries across the globe, including Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, among others. Every day, its local teams are in communities and refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support. War Child also specializes in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations as they happen, offering immediate and critical aid impartially to keep children safe and help them through their trauma.
Recorded in a single day dating all the way back in 1995, the original “HELP” album raised over £1.2 million, enabling War Child to provide vital support to thousands of children caught in the Bosnian conflict.
Led by Brian Eno, the album has become one of the most celebrated charity records ever made, with a wealth of icons making valuable contributions from Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, Sinéad O’Connor, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, and more. The story behind the record and its recording is now legend: all of the songs were recorded on Monday, September 4th of 1995, mixed the following day, and released to the buying public a few days later, on Saturday, September 9. The idea to record in 24 hours came from John Lennon, who, when discussing his 1970 record “Instant Karma” said that records should be like newspapers, reflecting events as they are happening.
It then sold over 70,000 copies on day one and reached number one in the UK compilation charts and, reportedly, would have reached number one on the UK albums chart had it been eligible. Following its release, the record won both a specially created BRIT Award, collected by Thom Yorke, and a Q Award to recognize its impact. It was also nominated for the 1996 Mercury Prize. Pulp won that year with “Different Class” but donated the prize fund to War Child.
Easily, “HELP” captured a defining cultural moment and, nearly three decades on, its unparalleled influence continues to resonate with a globally-conscious generation of listeners.
However, when the album was first released, around 10% of the world’s children were affected by conflict. Today, that figure has almost doubled to nearly 1 in 5, or 520 million children worldwide; more than at any time since the Second World War. With conflicts escalating and funding cuts hitting hard, War Child’s work has never been more urgent and the need for these artists to carry forward the original album’s spirit of collective action could not be more vital.
“’HELP(2)’ is more than an album. It’s a powerful example of what can happen when the music industry comes together around a shared purpose. It has united a diverse group of artists and creatives in support of War Child’s vital work with children affected by the devastating impacts of war. We are immensely grateful to all the artists and teams who have donated their voices, talent and time to support our mission to ensure that no child is caught up in conflict zones. We hope this record not only raises vital funds, but also awareness of the urgent need to turn compassion into action and do more to protect children living through war,” shared Rich Clarke, Head of Music at War Child UK.
Album artwork courtesy of War Child Records.
HELP(2) Tracklist:
Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night
Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – Flags
Black Country, New Road – Strangers
The Last Dinner Party – Let’s do it again!
Beth Gibbons – Sunday Morning
Arooj Aftab & Beck – Lilac Wine
King Krule – The 343 Loop
Depeche Mode – Universal Soldier
Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – Helicopters
Arlo Parks – Nothing I Could Hide
English Teacher & 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 & Dove Ellis – Sunday Light
Olivia Rodrigo – The Book of Love
Don't Miss
