Bono says U2’s spiritual questions still belong in popular music, even as the band approaches its 50th anniversary with a new album and world tour.
In a New York Times interview published Oct. 17, Bono and guitarist The Edge discussed the band’s purpose, its relationship with faith and the challenge of bringing those themes to a mainstream audience.
“The metaphysical thing, the gospel side of U2 — that was only allowed in rock ’n’ roll if you were Black,” Bono told interviewer David Marchese. He added that white artists who talk openly about God can make audiences uncomfortable, contrasting that response with the musical freedom he experienced in Black churches in the United States.
Bono said U2’s approach has been to place “songs of faith and devotion” alongside songs of doubt. “To put the gospel with the blues, which is rock ’n’ roll,” he said, describing the blues as “the shouting at God part of this.” The Edge said the band’s religious themes were not intended as a marketing strategy but emerged naturally from the members’ own questions. “It’s just our search, our inquiry,” he said. “And it involves so much doubt.”
The discussion came as U2 celebrated five decades since its formation in Dublin. According to U2’s official website, the band marked the anniversary Sept. 25 with performances at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, where the members met, and at Bewley’s Café on Grafton Street. Bono, The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. have remained the group’s core lineup since their first rehearsals in 1976.
The anniversary year also includes the release of Carnaval De Luz, U2’s 16th studio album and first full-length album of new material in nine years. U2 announced that the record will be released Nov. 13. The album includes a song titled “Glorify,” which Bono described in the interview as a minimal, dance-oriented expression of faith and love.
U2 has also announced the first dates for The Greatest Show on Earth World Tour. The official announcement lists concerts in Mexico City beginning Feb. 23, 2027, followed by São Paulo and Buenos Aires, with Beck supporting the Latin American dates. The band said additional tour plans remain in development.
The Edge said U2 continues to see music as more than entertainment, describing the group’s work as a collision of rock ’n’ roll, activism, art and “a transcendent aspect.” Bono, meanwhile, said the band’s ambition remains tied to reaching a broad audience without abandoning its spiritual and artistic concerns.
Image Credits:
• Bono singing during U2's performance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 10, 2017 via Wikimedia Commons by Daniel Hazard with usage type - Creative Commons License, By Daniel Hazard - https://u2start.com/photos/view/29157/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62392459
Featured Image Credit:
• Bono singing during U2's performance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 10, 2017 via Wikimedia Commons by Daniel Hazard with usage type - Creative Commons License, By Daniel Hazard - https://u2start.com/photos/view/29157/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62392459