Description

U2 return with their hotly anticipated new studio album Songs of Experience. The Island Records priority release completes a stellar year for the Dublin band, following their return to stadiums with the critically acclaimed, sold out The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 playing to 2.4 million fans in just 51 shows across Europe and North and South America, as well as the successful 30th Anniversary re-issue of The Joshua Tree.

Recorded in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles, Songs of Experience was completed earlier this year with its subject matter influenced by Brendan Kennellys* advice to Bono, to write as if youre dead. The result is a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singers heart: family, friends, fans and indeed himself.

Songs Of Experience is the companion release to 2014s Songs Of Innocence, the two titles drawing inspiration from a collection of poems, Songs of Innocence and Experience, by the 18th century English mystic and poet William Blake.

Produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder, with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow and Jolyon Thomas, the album features a cover image by Anton Corbijn of band-members teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans.

The Blackout and Youre The Best Thing About Me were the first songs to be made available from the album. Youre The Best Thing About Me is the bands first UK Top 20 airplay record in a decade and has also been remixed by Norwegian superstar DJ and producer Kygo.

*Brendan Kennelly Irish poet, novelist and Professor Emeritus at Trinity College, Dublin