©PA
Nine years after their last album, U2 returns with a surprising project: the Days of Ash EP. It's not about the new album to be released, but an urgent and committed work, made up of five songs and a recited poem, designed to respond to the violence of ICE, Trumpism, the war in Ukraine and the tragedy in Gaza.
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. respond to a world in turmoil, confirming that the band has never stopped mixing rock and politics. These are songs that, according to Bono, couldn't wait: songs of defiance and stupefaction, of complaint. Days of Ash stands out for its musical ambience and its account of the album in preparation, already completed with 25 tracks.
Their social commitment comes as no surprise. Just think back to their early days, when they worked with Amnesty and Greenpeace: at no point in their career have they hesitated to take a stand, driven by the idea of a world where "borders are not erased by forceby force, where culture, language and memory are not silenced by fear, where human dignity is non-negotiable".
The album opens with American Obituary, dedicated to Renée Nicole Macklin Good, the mother of three killed by ICE in Minneapolis. In it, Bono paints a portrait of a mother turned symbol. The Tears of Things tackles fascism and religious fundamentalism through an imaginary conversation between Michelangelo and his David, with historical and contemporary references to global conflicts.
Song of the Future recalls Sarina Esmailzadeh, the Iranian teenager killed during the protests of 2022. Wildpeace, a poem by Yehuda Amichai recited by Nigerian Adeola Fayehun, launches a universal pacifist message. In One Life at a Time, thoughts turn to the murdered Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, while Yours Eternally brings together the voices ofEd Sheeran and musician-soldier Taras Topolia, creating a bridge between music and direct testimony.
With Days of Ash, U2 show that rock can still make people think, react and feel indignant. It's still possible to oppose the horror we are going through. This album is a raw snapshot of our times, but above all a call for peace, justice and universal dignity.
(©GreenMe.it 2026 / Managing Editor : Selma Keshkire- The Press Junction / Picture : Picture Alliance - Photoshot)