A large crowd filled up a street in Mexico City on May 12 to watch U2 shoot a video perched on top of a school bus wrapped in graffiti by artist Chavis Mármol for their upcoming single, “Street of Dreams.” The song will appear on their next album, which is due out later this year.
Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. missed out on most band activity over the past few years as he recovered from neck and back surgeries, including their 40-night residency at the Sphere in 2023 and 2024, but he was back behind the kit at the video shoot.
“I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t easy missing the Sphere residency through injury,” Mullen said earlier this year. “But I ignored my symptoms over a few years and just pushed through. Turns out I’m not invincible, and when you don’t listen to your body the consequences are inevitable.”
He rejoined them in the studio recently to record the six-song EP Days of Ash, and a follow-up EP, Easter Lily. But these were just warmups for the band’s long-awaited follow-up to their 2017 LP Songs of Experience. According to Bono, the new tunes are “more songs of celebration than lamentation … more of a defiantly joyful kind of feel to take on these anxious times … almost a carnival vibe…You can only kick at the darkness for so long. We’re going to try and make the light brighter real soon.”
There’s no exact timeline for the release of the album or even a title that they’ve announced. But it’s worth noting that Sept. 25 will mark the 50th anniversary of their first rehearsal sessions back when they were still high school students at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin.
When speaking to Rolling Stone, Mullen revealed that he wasn’t always sure he’d be able to rejoin the band following his recent injuries. “It was a big deal to be in the room with Edge, Adam, and Bono again,” he said. “That said, I’ve had to make some changes, like how I sit at the kit and the height of the various pieces. Other changes require more practice, they’re more about my approach and intention. I’ve always been an intense player, but I’m trying a more relaxed approach, and I’m enjoying the experience. That may not be unconnected to the fact that I’m not hurting myself like I used to.”
