🎸U2 Surprise-Drops Politically Charged ‘Days of Ash’ EP on Ash Wednesday, Tackling Ukraine War, Middle East Turmoil and U.S. Protest Tragedy

Six-Track Digital Release Features Tribute to Renée Good, Collaboration With Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian Front-Line Musician Taras Topolia; Full-Length Album to Follow With ‘More Joyful’ Tone

In a move that blends liturgical symbolism with geopolitical urgency, U2 has surprise-released a six-track EP, “Days of Ash,” timed to Ash Wednesday and steeped in themes of grief, protest, and global unrest.

The digital-only collection marks the band’s most substantial body of new material since 2017’s Songs of Experience, offering what frontman Bono describes as “songs of defiance and dismay” written in response to what he calls “mad and maddening times.”

Produced by longtime collaborator Jacknife Lee, the EP will not roll over into the band’s forthcoming full-length studio album. That record, Bono promises, will pivot toward a “much more joyful tone,” positioning Days of Ash as an urgent dispatch rather than a commercial bridge.

A Protest Record for the Present Moment

The leadoff track, “American Obituary,” is a lament for Renée Good, a Minneapolis woman whose killing sparked outrage. Bono frames the song as both fury and grief—mourning not only a life lost but what he sees as an erosion of civic trust.

From there, the EP widens its lens. “Song of the Future” pays tribute to youth-led protests in Iran, referencing 16-year-old Sarina Esmailzadeh, who died during the 2022 crackdown. Other tracks grapple with violence in Gaza and Israel and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The closing song, “Yours Eternally,” features a guest writing and vocal contribution from Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian rock musician Taras Topolia, who has served on the front lines during Russia’s invasion. A short documentary directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Ilya Mikhaylus will accompany the track, premiering on Feb. 24, marking four years since the invasion began.

A Band Reunited — and Recalibrated

The EP arrives alongside a 54-page revival of Propaganda, U2’s long-dormant fan magazine, offering rare insights from all four band members. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. reflects candidly on returning to the studio after surgery sidelined him from the band’s high-profile Las Vegas Sphere residency.

“Who needs to hear a new record from us?” Mullen muses in the issue. “It just depends on whether we’re making music that we feel deserves to be heard.”

For U2, political engagement is less a strategy than a signature. From Amnesty International collaborations to Greenpeace campaigns, the band has historically fused activism with arena-scale rock. With Days of Ash, they double down—choosing to release an austere, morally charged EP in a streaming era that favors lighter fare.

Digital-Only — For Now

At present, Days of Ash is available exclusively for download and streaming, with lyric videos for all six tracks. The band has not ruled out a physical edition.

The forthcoming album—still untitled—is expected later this year and will reportedly pivot from lamentation to celebration. If Days of Ash is the reckoning, the next chapter promises redemption.

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-- By Lakisha Brown

Jasmine Thomas contributed to this report.

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