Hear It: U2 Release New EP “Days of Ash,” Marking First New Music in Years

U2 have released a surprise new EP titled Days of Ash, arriving on Ash Wednesday with six pieces that function as an immediate response to global unrest, political violence, and moral reckoning. The band has described the project as deliberately urgent and separate in spirit from a more celebratory album expected later in 2026.

Produced by Jacknife Lee, Days of Ash is concise but weighty, pairing real-world references with restrained, focused arrangements. Rather than aiming for arena-scale uplift, the EP leans into confrontation, testimony, and reflection, positioning itself as one of the band’s most explicitly political releases in years.

Below is a track-by-track look at the EP.

Track by track

1. “American Obituary”

The opening track is the EP’s most direct statement. “American Obituary” centers on the killing of Renée Good by ICE agents and the language used to explain and justify the incident afterward. Bono’s lyrics are specific and accusatory, avoiding metaphor in favor of names, institutions, and consequences. Musically, the song is tense and propulsive, designed to keep attention fixed on the story rather than on hooks or spectacle.

2. “The Tears of Things”

“The Tears of Things” shifts into allegory, framing its narrative as a conversation between Michelangelo’s David and Goliath. The song explores how power is mythologized and how violence is remembered once it is absorbed into history. The Edge’s guitar work is crisp and deliberate, giving the track a reflective tone that contrasts sharply with the opener’s urgency.

3. “Song of the Future”

This track memorializes Iranian protester Sarina Esmailzadeh, connecting personal loss to broader resistance movements. Rather than treating the subject abstractly, the song presents her story as a warning against indifference. The arrangement is restrained, allowing Bono to deliver the lyrics with the steadiness of testimony rather than overt drama.

4. “Wildpeace”

“Wildpeace” is the EP’s spoken-word centerpiece, built around a poem by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai and read by Nigerian artist Adeola. Set against a minimal, atmospheric backing, the piece reflects on the idea of peace not as a settled condition but as something unstable and difficult to maintain. Its placement mid-EP functions as both pause and thesis, reframing the songs around it.

5. “One Life at a Time”

“One Life at a Time” honors Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, who was killed by an Israeli settler according to reporting connected to the EP’s themes. The song focuses on individual human cost rather than political abstraction. It is one of the record’s most understated moments, built as an elegy that insists singular lives matter even when politics overwhelms the narrative.

6. “Yours Eternally”

The closing track expands the EP’s scope with guest contributions from Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian singer and soldier Taras Topolia. The song is tied to U2’s ongoing engagement with Ukraine and serves as a tribute to those living through the war. A short documentary connected to “Yours Eternally” is scheduled for release following the EP, extending the project beyond audio.

Release context and what comes next

Alongside the EP, U2 have revived their long-running Propaganda Magazine with a new issue tied to Days of Ash, featuring lyrics, essays, and interviews connected to the release. The band has also indicated that a separate album with a more hopeful tone is planned for later in 2026, positioning Days of Ash as a snapshot of the present rather than a definitive statement.

Rather than offering easy answers, Days of Ash documents a moment of fracture and uncertainty. It presents U2 not as commentators from a distance but as participants responding in real time, using music as record, protest, and reflection.