ICE raids, West Bank, Iran, Ukraine: U2 breaks its silence with a hotly topical EP, between prophetic anger and political urgency. Ed Sheeran puts his voice on the last track.
U2 breaks a long silence with a surprise six-track EP, Days of Ashavailable now on all platforms. The group directly addresses the points of fracture in today's world: ICE raids in the United States, Iranian uprisings, the war in Ukraine and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The six pieces — “American Obituary”, “The Tears of Things”, “Song of the Future”, “Wildpeace”, “One Life at a Time” and “Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia)” — are each accompanied by a lyric video.
“American Obituary” : one ball per child
The EP opens with “American Obituary,” dedicated to Renee Good, who was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis during a protest. “Renee Good born to die free / American mother of three / Seventh day January / A bullet for each child, you see”sings Bono.
In a previously unpublished interview with the fanzine Propaganda — relaunched for the occasion in a digital version, with a paper edition available in certain points of sale — Bono looks back on the genesis of the piece. “The rhythm of the lyrics is a nod to one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).” In his song, the child sings for his mother; in ours, the mother sings to her children: “I love you more than hate loves war. » »
“The Tears of Things” : Michelangelo facing Gaza
“The Tears of Things” takes its title from the book by Richard Rohr published in 2025, The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage. The piece features an imaginary conversation between Michelangelo and his statue of David, echoing the conflict between Israel and Gaza. “If you put a man into a cage and rattle it long enough / A man becomes the kind of rage that cannot be locked up… The tears of things / Let the desert be unfrozen”sings Bono.
In the interview with PropagandaBono confides that the group became closer to Richard Rohr and found a deep resonance in his writings. “He is a mystic, a deep thinker”he said. “His book suggests that the greatest Jewish prophets found a way to work through their rage and anger at the injustices of their time, until they ended in tears. »
“Song of the Future” : for Sarina, 16 years old
“Song of the Future” pays tribute to Sarina Esmailzadeh, a 16-year-old Iranian girl beaten to death by security forces after participating in the Women, Life, Freedom movement in 2022. “We find a priestly caste of men whose subjective interpretation of sacred texts becomes a club with which to smash the skull of anyone who does not agree”explains Bono. “We all remake God in our image to some extent, but sadly we are far more likely to create a God of fire and brimstone than a God of “love and mercy,” to quote Brian Wilson. »
“Wildpeace” : the voice of the African continent
“One Life at a Time” : die in the West Bank
“One Life at a Time” was born from the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land (2025). The piece was written for Awdah Hathaleen, a consultant on the film, who was killed in his West Bank village by an Israeli settler. The title takes up a phrase spoken by director Basel Adra during the funeral. “‘One life at a time’ is a kind of existential proposition”explains Bono. “We can change the world for better or worse… one life at a time. »
“Yours Eternally” : a letter to Ukraine, with Ed Sheeran
The entire EP is produced by the group's long-time collaborator Jacknife Lee. “Who needs to hear a new record from us?” »says drummer Larry Mullen Jr. in a press release. “It all depends on whether the music we make deserves to be heard. I think these new songs stand up to our best titles. We talk a lot about the right time to release new songs. We don't always know… but the state of the world today seems like the right time. Since our very beginnings, with Amnesty or Greenpeace, we have never been afraid to take a stand – and sometimes it can get a little chaotic, there is always backlash – but it is an integral part of who we are and the reason why we still exist. »
