U2 is back. And this time, unexpectedly.
The band has just released “Easter Lily”, their second EP from 2026, just weeks after Days of Ash.
An unusual move… which makes it clear that something is up.
And yes: it includes a new collaboration with Brian Eno.
A surprise launch (and more personal than ever)
If Days of Ash looked outward – with songs dedicated to activists –
“Easter Lily” shifts the focus.
Here everything is more intimate.
More direct.
More human.
The EP kicks off with “Song for Hal”, a tribute to Hal Willner, a close friend of the band who passed away in 2020.
But what is important is not only to whom it is dedicated.
It is the tone.
👉 U2 sound reflective.
👉 U2 sound vulnerable.
👉 U2 sound current.
Bono is faith, algorithms and relationships in crisis
In Bono’s words, this project was born out of uncomfortable questions:
- can our relationships survive these times?
- what is left of faith in the age of algorithms?
- are we losing important rituals as a society?
It’s not just music.
It is a reflection on the current moment.
And that connects directly to the present.
Brian Eno returns to the U2 universe
The EP closer, “COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)”, features production by Brian Eno.
A key name in the history of the group.
Here, the theme focuses on families living in conflict zones, reinforcing the emotional tone of the project.
It is not a nostalgic return.
It is a natural continuation.
An EP in the midst of an intense creative moment
The most striking thing is not only the EP.
It is the context:
- second launch in weeks
- new album on track for late 2026
- active studio band
According to Bono:
are working on a “noisy, chaotic and colorful” album, designed for live performance.
And that is key.
Because if anything defines U2, it is this:
their music lives on stage.
Much more than music, is the return of Propaganda
“Easter Lily” arrives accompanied by a new digital edition of Propaganda, the band’s historic fanzine.
Includes:
- texts by The Edge
- conversation between Bono and thinker Richard Rohr
- Adam Clayton’s reflections
- unpublished studio photos of Larry Mullen Jr.
A move that reinforces the idea that this is not just a launch.
Just a moment.
Tracklist of “Easter Lily
01 Song for Hal
02 In A Life
03 Scars
04 Resurrection Song
05 Easter Parade
06 COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)
Why this launch matters now
Because U2 is doing something unusual:
✔ steadily release music
✔ explore the personal without losing scale
✔ connect global themes with intimate experiences
✔ lay the groundwork for a new album.
And above all:
because they still sound relevant in 2026.
U2 is not looking back.
He is trying to understand the present.
And “Easter Lily” is one of his most direct responses in years.
