U2 reimagine 40 of their songs on new album Songs

On St. Patrick’s Day, U2 will unveil their new album Songs of Surrender. Taking a page from Taylor Swift, the forthcoming collection sees the band reimagine 40 songs from their back catalog.

Update: Check out the album’s tracklist and artwork, as well as first single “Pride (In The Name Of Love),” below.

U2’s The Edge previewed the project in a handwritten note sent to fans. “The fact is that most of our work was written and recorded when we were a bunch of very young men. Those songs mean something quite different to us now,” The Edge wrote. “Some have grown with us. Some we have outgrown. But we have not lost sight of what propelled us to write those songs in the first place. The essence of those songs is still in us, but how to reconnect with that essence when we have moved on, and grown so much?

“Music allows you to time travel and so we started to imagine what it would be like to bring these songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit or otherwise, of a 21st century re-imagining,” The Edge added. “What started as an experiment quickly became a personal obsession as so many early U2 songs yielded to a new interpretation. Intimacy replaced post-punk urgency. New keys. New chords. New tempos and new lyrics arrived. It turns out that great song is kind of indestructible. Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time, of the people we are, and particularly the singer Bono has become.”

Separately, Bono discussed the project in the afterword of his recent memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. “During lockdown, we were able to reimagine 40 U2 tracks for the Songs of Surrender collection, which gave me a chance to live inside those songs again as I wrote this memoir. It also meant I could deal with something that’s been nagging me for some time. The lyrics on a few songs that I’ve always felt were never quite written. They are now. (I think.)”

As a preview, U2’s new version of “Beautiful Day” soundtracks the below trailer for Songs of Surrender.

U2 is expected to open Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere in 2023. Additionally, Bono will stage a residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre for 11 evenings of “words, music and some mischief…” (get tickets here).

Letters from the Edge announcing “Songs of Surrender” have started to appear. See the story here: https://t.co/i1xnQuNrxO
(Many thanks to @daniDpVox and @U2360gradi for sharing!) pic.twitter.com/4jyBmJPaT9

— U2Songs.com (@u2songs) January 9, 2023

Songs of Surrender Artwork:

Songs of Surrender Tracklist:
Side 1 – The Edge
01. One
02. Where The Streets Have No Name
03. Stories For Boys
04. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock
05. Out Of Control
06. Beautiful Day
07. Bad
08. Every Breaking Wave
09. Walk On (Ukraine)
10. Pride (In The Name Of Love)

Side 2 – Larry
01. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
02. Get Out Of Your Own Way
03. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
04. Red Hill Mining Town
05. Ordinary Love
06. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
07. Invisible
08. Dirty Day
09. The Miracle Of Joey Ramone
10. City Of Blinding Lights

Side 3 – Adam
01. Vertigo
02. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
03. Electrical Storm
04. The Fly
05. If God Will Send His Angels
06. Desire
07. Until The End Of The World
08. Song For Someone
09. All I Want Is You
10. Peace On Earth

Side 4 – Bono
01. With Or Without You
02. Stay
03. Sunday Bloody Sunday
04. Lights Of Home
05. Cedarwood Road
06. I Will Follow
07. Two Hearts Beat As One
08. Miracle Drug
09. The Little Things That Give You Away
10. 40

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