That Eric Alper

Arctic Monkeys have released “Opening Night,” their contribution to ‘HELP(2),’ the new collaborative charity album in support of War Child UK. The album is out now, arriving as one of the most ambitious and purposeful multi-artist records assembled in decades. The band put it simply: “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)’ was inspired by the landmark 1995 charity album ‘HELP,’ originally led by Brian Eno and featuring Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, and more. That record raised over £1.2 million for children affected by the Bosnian conflict, sold over 70,000 copies on its first day, and reached number one on the UK compilation charts. Nearly three decades later, the need is even greater. When ‘HELP’ was first released, around 10% of the world’s children were affected by conflict. Today that figure has nearly doubled to almost 1 in 5, representing 520 million children worldwide.

The new album was recorded predominantly across one extraordinary week in November 2025 at London’s Abbey Road Studios, under the stewardship of producer James Ford. The contributor list is staggering: Anna Calvi, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country New Road, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Ezra Collective, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, Young Fathers, and more.

The sessions produced genuinely extraordinary moments. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, and Kae Tempest’s supergroup was joined by Johnny Marr, Dave Okumu, Portishead’s Adrian Utley on guitar, Gorillaz’ Seye Adelekan on bass, Femi Koleoso on drums, and an all-star choir including Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barat, and Declan McKenna. Graham Coxon ended up playing guitar on Olivia Rodrigo’s cover of The Magnetic Fields’ “The Book of Love.” Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell received an invitation to join Anna Calvi, Nilufer Yanya, and Dove Ellis on “Sunday Light” on the day of recording itself.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer served as Creative Director, working with Academy Films to oversee the visual component of the project. His concept, “By Children, For Children,” handed cameras directly to children, inviting them into the studios to film the artists without restriction. 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 conflict zones. The result connects the music directly to the children it exists to help.

Producer James Ford reflects on the experience with clarity: “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.” That feeling carries through every track on the record.

War Child UK has spent 30 years delivering immediate aid, education, specialist mental health support, and protection to children affected by conflict. The organization currently operates in 14 countries including Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and Syria, working daily in communities and refugee camps to create safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support. With conflicts escalating and funding cuts hitting hard, the need for this record could not be more urgent.

‘HELP(2)’ is out now. It is a powerful, sprawling, and deeply necessary record, one that channels an extraordinary collection of musical talent toward something that genuinely matters. Every purchase counts.

‘HELP(2)’ Tracklisting:

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, Nilufer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”

Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”