LOS ANGELES (AP) — U2 is returning with its first assortment of recent songs in practically a decade, opening with a tribute to Renee Good, the Minnesota mother fatally shot by a federal agent throughout this winter’s large immigration crackdown.
The Irish rock band launched the six-song EP “U2 – Days of Ash” on Wednesday. Its first observe, “American Obituary,” is devoted to Good, who died Jan. 7 in Minneapolis throughout an encounter with a Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The music is a name for peace and a dedication to Good’s life.
“Renee didn’t simply imagine in kindness; she lived it, totally and fiercely,” mentioned Becca Good, her accomplice, in an announcement launched with the venture. “She believed each individual deserved the identical compassion, care and dignity no matter who they had been.”
The band launched the EP on Ash Wednesday, describing it as an instantaneous response to present occasions and impressed by the folks “combating on the entrance traces of freedom.”
Frontman Bono has often included social themes into U2’s music, and the brand new songs preserve that method. Some tracks reference worldwide tensions and humanitarian considerations, together with the struggle in Ukraine, developments within the Center East and immigration debates in the US. One music additionally mentions Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, whose dying final yr within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution drew worldwide consideration.
The venture marks U2’s first main launch of recent unique materials since 2017’s “Songs of Expertise,” though the band has remained lively by touring and rerecorded initiatives lately.
Antonio Romanucci, an lawyer representing Good’s household in a civil case linked to her dying, mentioned the tribute displays a broader message.
“We actually really feel the urgency of the nation’s state of affairs mirrored within the band’s highly effective name for coming collectively,” he mentioned in an announcement.
All through its profession, U2 has used its platform to focus on points starting from international poverty initiatives to human rights advocacy. The EP was launched alongside lyric movies for every observe and is on the market on main streaming platforms.
Good’s mother and father and siblings additionally described the music as an honor and mentioned they hope it encourages reflection and unity.
“It is an unimaginable honor to have the expertise and impression of U2 spreading the message of peace in Renee’s title,” the assertion learn. “We actually really feel the urgency of the nation’s state of affairs mirrored within the band’s highly effective name for change and coming collectively.”