Latest news with #SongsofExperience
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bono on U2's New Album: ‘Everyone in the Band Seems Desperate for It'
Almost ten years since the release of its last album, Songs of Experience, U2 is back in the studio. The band is cooking up new music and very likely gearing up for a whole new tour. If you hear it straight from the group's frontman, Bono, it's a matter of life and death. 'Everyone in the band seems desperate for it,' Bono told Esquire's Madison Vain in Esquire US's new cover story. 'It's like their lives depend on it. ... And, as I tell them, they do.' In between discussions of family, politics, health scares, and slowing down—including the story of Bono learning how to sit on his couch and binge-watch Chef's Table and Fleabag—the singer confirms that U2 is working on new material for a new album, which the band may greet with a whole new tour. The album is reuniting U2 with producer Brian Eno, who also produced The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and Zooropa. Although the album doesn't yet have a title, at least one song is tentatively titled 'Freedom Is a Feeling.' Bono said this of the still-in-development piece: 'The thing is, I don't just want to be singing about freedom. I want to be freedom, the feeling. That's what rock 'n' roll has to be.' Bono also strongly hinted at plans for a tour. 'I just like to play live,' Bono said. Though Bono enjoys his cozy dwellings in Côte d'Azur, which Esquire explores with Bono in the piece, he's looking to get out of the house in the right circumstances. 'You want to have some very good reasons to leave home,' he said. U2's latest album, Songs of Experience, was the world's sixth-best-selling album of 2017 and was supported by the Experience + Innocence Tour in 2018. More recently, U2 enjoyed a buzzy residency from September 2023 to March 2024 at Las Vegas's cutting-edge venue Sphere. The production earned critical acclaim, with outlets like Billboard, The Telegraph, and The Guardian observing how the marriage of U2's artistry and vision with the venue's technical capabilities creates a show that forecasts the future of live entertainment. Still, for U2, it's about the music, and even Bono admitted that he's unsure what the future holds. 'I hope they're going to still be there for us,' Bono said of the band's fans. 'We've pushed them to their elastic limit over the years. And now it's a long time that we've been away. But I still think that we can create a soundtrack for people who want to take on the world.' You Might Also Like The Best Men's Sunglasses For Summer '19 There's A Smartwatch For Every Sort Of Guy What You Should Buy For Your Groomsmen (And What They Really Want)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bono on U2's New Album: ‘Everyone in the Band Seems Desperate for It'
Almost ten years since the release of its last album, Songs of Experience, U2 is back in the studio. The band is cooking up new music and very likely gearing up for a whole new tour. If you hear it straight from the group's frontman, Bono, it's a matter of life and death. 'Everyone in the band seems desperate for it,' Bono told Esquire's Madison Vain in our new cover story. 'It's like their lives depend on it.... And, as I tell them, they do.' In between discussions of family, politics, health scares, and slowing down—including the story of Bono learning how to sit on his couch and binge-watch Chef's Table and Fleabag—the singer confirms that U2 is working on new material for a new album, which the band may greet with a whole new tour. The album is reuniting U2 with producer Brian Eno, who also produced The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and Zooropa. Although the album doesn't yet have a title, at least one song is tentatively titled 'Freedom Is a Feeling.' Bono said this of the still-in-development piece: 'The thing is, I don't just want to be singing about freedom. I want to be freedom, the feeling. That's what rock 'n' roll has to be.' Bono also strongly hinted at plans for a tour. 'I just like to play live,' Bono said. Though Bono enjoys his cozy dwellings in Côte d'Azur, which Esquire explores with Bono in the piece, he's looking to get out of the house in the right circumstances. 'You want to have some very good reasons to leave home,' he said. U2's latest album, Songs of Experience, was the world's sixth-best-selling album of 2017 and was supported by the Experience + Innocence Tour in 2018. More recently, U2 enjoyed a buzzy residency from September 2023 to March 2024 at Las Vegas's cutting-edge venue Sphere. The production earned critical acclaim, with outlets like Billboard, The Telegraph, and The Guardian observing how the marriage of U2's artistry and vision with the venue's technical capabilities creates a show that forecasts the future of live entertainment. Still, for U2, it's about the music, and even Bono admitted that he's unsure what the future holds. 'I hope they're going to still be there for us,' Bono said of the band's fans. 'We've pushed them to their elastic limit over the years. And now it's a long time that we've been away. But I still think that we can create a soundtrack for people who want to take on the world.' You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
Irish Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Memoir and music collide as Bono faces mortality and finds renewed purpose
NEVER before in the history of humankind has one small man so largely self-promoted his life. That's the theory, anyway, as U2's frontman Bono prepares to unleash yet another chapter of his life at the end of this month. 'I was born with my fists up. Surrender does not come easy to me. This is my story. I'm stuck with it.' So says the man who manages to mix self-deprecation with self-aggrandisement all too well. We will see examples of this in the forthcoming Apple TV+ original documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which debuts on the streaming platform on Friday, May 30th. In fairness, Paul Hewson's flagrant self-promotion has some depth to it. We can safely guess that this virtually solo proactivity began with the brace of U2's most personal and confessional albums: Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017). Bono Stories of Surrender airs on Apple TV+ this month The first album revisits the band members' early days in Ireland of the 1970s, referencing childhood memories, personal loves and losses, all the while tipping a hat to their first musical inspirations of glam rock, David Bowie, and various pop, rock, and punk groups. Bono once described the album as the most personal the band had written. Subsequently, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he said the album was about trying to figure out 'why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys - first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually…' Songs of Experience, meanwhile, was even more personal to Bono. In December 2016, as the album was being worked on, he had a near-death experience. At the time, what occurred wasn't identified, but the Edge referred to it as a 'brush with mortality.' Bono later revealed in his 2022 memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, that he had undergone open-heart surgery, an eight-hour operation. After some time recuperating, a fully recovered Bono decided to rework lyrics on some of the album's new songs. He subsequently admitted that death was already going to be a theme on the album, as he thought the subject had been infrequently addressed in rock music, and felt it was logically fitting for an album with the title of Songs of Experience. Inevitably, the incident influenced the general theme and atmosphere of the album. It made him realise, he said, that not 'surrendering to melancholy is the most important thing if you are going to fight your way out of whatever corner you are in.' Cue Covid-19, and the time available to dig deep not only into what happened to him a few years previously but also to finally drill down into his life story. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story was the result of such drilling. To say it surprised people is an understatement. To say it most surprised people whose antipathy towards Bono bordered on irrationality was an even greater understatement. How did he change minds, then? A review of the memoir in the New Statesman gets it right. 'The only thing anyone else really has to say about U2 is that they don't like Bono, the band's frontman, because he is smug and evangelical. Bono addresses this charge early in his memoir: there is no criticism anyone could make of him that is worse than the criticism he gives himself, up there on stage, every night. On stage, he has a devil on his shoulder, he says. But while he may have a devil, he also has faith and God on his side. Thus insulated, Bono can begin his story.' Similarly, Irish writer Colm Tóibín's review in the Irish Times outlines why some people are irked by Bono: he gets carried away. ('This is what I do,' explains the singer. 'This is the me you wouldn't want to be in a band with.') Tóibín gets to the heart of the subject when he writes that what makes the memoir so intriguing is that the singer's overarching melancholy 'is overwhelmed by a desperate, frenzied desire to use life more richly since it has proved to be so fragile. Sadness is replaced here by an extraordinary and breathless zeal for friendship, but also for love.' Which is all well and good, but what does the documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender tell us? In tandem with the publication of his memoir in the closing months of 2022, something odd occurred in the world of U2. Announcing theatre shows with the title of Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief, Bono announced that these shows would be the first time he would sing U2 songs without the other three band members. There was no problem with this, he soothingly remarked, perhaps keen to downplay (if not completely sabotage) any thoughts of discord within the band. The 'solo' tour dates were few and far between, but as the shows were to be held in theatres (the capacity of which ranged from anywhere between 1,000-3,000), the demand for tickets was stratospheric. Curiosity, however, was also central to the demand. In the end, the wait in the online ticket queue was worth it. Reviews of the show were unanimously positive. 'One of rock's biggest voices laid himself bare', said Variety, and 'unquestionable professionalism' noted The Times. The Irish Times, meanwhile, viewed Dublin's 3Olympia Theatre show as a 'musical photo album, the singer flicking through memories of his life with songs. It gives him the chance to flex his talents as a singer, a storyteller, a mimic, a comic and, ultimately, the tenor his father said he never was. This is 'my quarter-of-a-band' show, he says. But what a quarter.' You can expect the Apple TV+ documentary to deliver a view of the show (actually, two shows, both filmed at New York's famed Beacon Theatre) that not many in the stalls witnessed. Directed in sharp, stylish monochrome by Andrew Dominik, the documentary had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival and received suitably enthusiastic reviews. Previously unseen footage from the Beacon shows presents a very confessional Bono in a way you might have previously been unaware of, while numerous U2 songs are performed in a subtle, stripped-down and textured manner that places them in entirely new light (and shade). The Irish musicians on stage (cellist Kate Ellis, multi-instrumentalist Gemma Doherty, and jack-of-all-music-trades Jacknife Lee) reshape the songs that will more than likely influence forthcoming U2 material. The visual aspects, meanwhile, are softened versions of the usual blitz of U2's arena/Sphere shows, with supremely eye-catching lighting design that never makes you turn your head away. Is the film yet another self-promotion device, another look-at-me tool? Of course it is, but even the most toughened anti-U2/Bono detractor will surely admit there is a sincere heart beating throughout it that neuters the obvious hard sell. 'The Story of a Showman' is how the trailer for the documentary starts. It now looks likely that until Bono hangs up his boots, or until his boots are hung up for him, the story of this particular showman will continue. A revised edition of Stories of Surrender is published on May 27. The documentary of the same name premieres on Apple TV+ on May 30. See More: Apple TV+, Bono, Bono: Stories Of Surrender
The Advertiser
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
'Sounds like future to me': Bono teases new U2 album
Bono has teased U2's new album "sounds like future". The 65-year-old singer has shared an updated about the group's currently untitled follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience and cryptically explained it was important for the One hitmakers to "deal with the past" before moving forward. Asked about the new album, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "Nostalgia is not to be tolerated for too long, but sometimes you've got to deal with the past in order to get to the future and to the present. To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we're in. "We've been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we're at the other end of it." Drummer Larry Mullen Jr missed the group's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere 40-date Las Vegas residency after undergoing neck surgery but Bono praised his recovery and how he is back better than ever. He said: "We've been playing in the room together, the four of us. "And I can tell you (Mullen Jr) is completely through whatever storm of injury he's been through. His playing is at its most innovative. He's just all about the band. He doesn't want to talk about anything else, which is kind of amazing. "By the way, being a band in a room where each individual musician has a role that's singular and collective is so rare because music is assembled these days. "And even some of our music we have assembled, and we'll do that again, but to try and capture a moment of a rock 'n' roll band in full flight is at the heart of this record that we're making that we've recorded, but we are not finished." The Vertigo singer - who admitted he doesn't know when the album will be released - was also quizzed on the possibility of a special box set to mark the 30th anniversary of U2's album Pop. He replied: "Well, I never thought about that. Actually, I'm sure somebody clever has thought of that. But if they haven't, I'm not aware of it. "And the film of the PopMart tour in Mexico is one of the most extraordinary U2 shows ever. I love the imagery around that album. And the only thing that album wasn't was pop." Bono has teased U2's new album "sounds like future". The 65-year-old singer has shared an updated about the group's currently untitled follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience and cryptically explained it was important for the One hitmakers to "deal with the past" before moving forward. Asked about the new album, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "Nostalgia is not to be tolerated for too long, but sometimes you've got to deal with the past in order to get to the future and to the present. To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we're in. "We've been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we're at the other end of it." Drummer Larry Mullen Jr missed the group's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere 40-date Las Vegas residency after undergoing neck surgery but Bono praised his recovery and how he is back better than ever. He said: "We've been playing in the room together, the four of us. "And I can tell you (Mullen Jr) is completely through whatever storm of injury he's been through. His playing is at its most innovative. He's just all about the band. He doesn't want to talk about anything else, which is kind of amazing. "By the way, being a band in a room where each individual musician has a role that's singular and collective is so rare because music is assembled these days. "And even some of our music we have assembled, and we'll do that again, but to try and capture a moment of a rock 'n' roll band in full flight is at the heart of this record that we're making that we've recorded, but we are not finished." The Vertigo singer - who admitted he doesn't know when the album will be released - was also quizzed on the possibility of a special box set to mark the 30th anniversary of U2's album Pop. He replied: "Well, I never thought about that. Actually, I'm sure somebody clever has thought of that. But if they haven't, I'm not aware of it. "And the film of the PopMart tour in Mexico is one of the most extraordinary U2 shows ever. I love the imagery around that album. And the only thing that album wasn't was pop." Bono has teased U2's new album "sounds like future". The 65-year-old singer has shared an updated about the group's currently untitled follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience and cryptically explained it was important for the One hitmakers to "deal with the past" before moving forward. Asked about the new album, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "Nostalgia is not to be tolerated for too long, but sometimes you've got to deal with the past in order to get to the future and to the present. To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we're in. "We've been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we're at the other end of it." Drummer Larry Mullen Jr missed the group's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere 40-date Las Vegas residency after undergoing neck surgery but Bono praised his recovery and how he is back better than ever. He said: "We've been playing in the room together, the four of us. "And I can tell you (Mullen Jr) is completely through whatever storm of injury he's been through. His playing is at its most innovative. He's just all about the band. He doesn't want to talk about anything else, which is kind of amazing. "By the way, being a band in a room where each individual musician has a role that's singular and collective is so rare because music is assembled these days. "And even some of our music we have assembled, and we'll do that again, but to try and capture a moment of a rock 'n' roll band in full flight is at the heart of this record that we're making that we've recorded, but we are not finished." The Vertigo singer - who admitted he doesn't know when the album will be released - was also quizzed on the possibility of a special box set to mark the 30th anniversary of U2's album Pop. He replied: "Well, I never thought about that. Actually, I'm sure somebody clever has thought of that. But if they haven't, I'm not aware of it. "And the film of the PopMart tour in Mexico is one of the most extraordinary U2 shows ever. I love the imagery around that album. And the only thing that album wasn't was pop." Bono has teased U2's new album "sounds like future". The 65-year-old singer has shared an updated about the group's currently untitled follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience and cryptically explained it was important for the One hitmakers to "deal with the past" before moving forward. Asked about the new album, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "Nostalgia is not to be tolerated for too long, but sometimes you've got to deal with the past in order to get to the future and to the present. To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we're in. "We've been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we're at the other end of it." Drummer Larry Mullen Jr missed the group's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere 40-date Las Vegas residency after undergoing neck surgery but Bono praised his recovery and how he is back better than ever. He said: "We've been playing in the room together, the four of us. "And I can tell you (Mullen Jr) is completely through whatever storm of injury he's been through. His playing is at its most innovative. He's just all about the band. He doesn't want to talk about anything else, which is kind of amazing. "By the way, being a band in a room where each individual musician has a role that's singular and collective is so rare because music is assembled these days. "And even some of our music we have assembled, and we'll do that again, but to try and capture a moment of a rock 'n' roll band in full flight is at the heart of this record that we're making that we've recorded, but we are not finished." The Vertigo singer - who admitted he doesn't know when the album will be released - was also quizzed on the possibility of a special box set to mark the 30th anniversary of U2's album Pop. He replied: "Well, I never thought about that. Actually, I'm sure somebody clever has thought of that. But if they haven't, I'm not aware of it. "And the film of the PopMart tour in Mexico is one of the most extraordinary U2 shows ever. I love the imagery around that album. And the only thing that album wasn't was pop."
West Australian
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
'Sounds like future to me': Bono teases new U2 album
Bono has teased U2's new album "sounds like future". The 65-year-old singer has shared an updated about the group's currently untitled follow-up to 2017's Songs of Experience and cryptically explained it was important for the One hitmakers to "deal with the past" before moving forward. Asked about the new album, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "Nostalgia is not to be tolerated for too long, but sometimes you've got to deal with the past in order to get to the future and to the present. To get back to now is our desire. Get back to this moment we're in. "We've been recording. And it sounds like future to me. We had to go through some stuff, and we're at the other end of it." Drummer Larry Mullen Jr missed the group's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere 40-date Las Vegas residency after undergoing neck surgery but Bono praised his recovery and how he is back better than ever. He said: "We've been playing in the room together, the four of us. "And I can tell you (Mullen Jr) is completely through whatever storm of injury he's been through. His playing is at its most innovative. He's just all about the band. He doesn't want to talk about anything else, which is kind of amazing. "By the way, being a band in a room where each individual musician has a role that's singular and collective is so rare because music is assembled these days. "And even some of our music we have assembled, and we'll do that again, but to try and capture a moment of a rock 'n' roll band in full flight is at the heart of this record that we're making that we've recorded, but we are not finished." The Vertigo singer - who admitted he doesn't know when the album will be released - was also quizzed on the possibility of a special box set to mark the 30th anniversary of U2's album Pop. He replied: "Well, I never thought about that. Actually, I'm sure somebody clever has thought of that. But if they haven't, I'm not aware of it. "And the film of the PopMart tour in Mexico is one of the most extraordinary U2 shows ever. I love the imagery around that album. And the only thing that album wasn't was pop."
