U2 Releases Surprise EP Critiquing Immigration
U2 has released a surprise EP featuring pointed criticism of government immigration crackdowns, according to NPR's "All Songs Considered." The EP appears alongside new singles from Lana Del Rey and James Blake in this week's best new songs roundup. The release demonstrates the band's continued willingness to engage with current political events through their music.
- The surprise EP, titled "Days of Ash," was released on February 19, 2026, and is the band's first collection of new music since their 2017 album "Songs of Experience." - The opening track, "American Obituary," directly addresses the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a mother of three, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. - Other songs on the EP were inspired by global events, including a track about the "Women, Life, Freedom" protest movement in Iran and another dedicated to Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, who was killed in the West Bank in 2025. - This project continues the band's long history of addressing political and social issues, a reputation established with their 1983 album "War," which featured the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday." - Throughout their career, U2 has written songs about global conflicts and human rights, such as "Bullet the Blue Sky," which was a critique of American foreign policy in El Salvador. - Lead singer Bono is a prominent activist who co-founded the ONE Campaign to fight extreme poverty and (RED), which has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for AIDS prevention and treatment in Africa. - In the past, Bono has framed U2's success as an immigrant's story and has spoken out in support of DACA recipients, referring to the band as "the original dreamers." - According to the band, the songs on "Days of Ash" are "songs of defiance and dismay" that "couldn't wait" and are distinct from a more joyful full-length album planned for release later in 2026.
