U2 are focused on singing their Songs of Experience now that their anniversary tour behind The Joshua Tree is over. So they're looking ahead to 2018 by mapping out a new tour in support of the new album, which they've now detailed in full. Better yet, U2 have also just shared a new song featuring none other than Kendrick Lamar.
The new single is titled "Get Out of Your Own Way," and it features a spoken word section from Lamar. The rapper previously enlisted the band to perform on his track "XXX" from this year's DAMN. LP. You can hear "Get Out of Your Own Way" down below, where you'll also find the newly shared studio version of album track "The Blackout." That latter song previously arrived as a performance video earlier this year.
U2 have also shared the remaining details surrounding Songs of Experience, including a tracklist and album art. You can see the former below and the latter above. The cover art was done by Anton Corbijn.
A press release also explained this of the new album:
The lyrical approach of the album was greatly inspired by Irish poet, novelist and Trinity College, Dublin Professor Emeritus Brendan Kennelly's advice to Bono to "write as if you're dead,' resulting in a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singer's heart — family, friends, fans, himself.
As for that tour, it is a 15-date trek called the "eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour." It will serve as a sequel to the band's 2015 "iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour," and the 2018 trek will take them across the North American continent from the beginning of May and to the end of June.
A lone Canadian date on the itinerary will bring the band to Montreal's Bell Centre on June 5. Tickets for all dates go on sale November 20 at 10 a.m. local time. You can find all 15 dates listed below.
UPDATE (11/20, 12:20 p.m. EST): U2 have now added a second Montreal show on June 6.
Songs of Experience is also available for pre-order in a variety of formats. The album will arrive in standard and deluxe CD editions, in addition to a 2xLP vinyl set and a Super Deluxe box set. You can find further details here. The album is due out on December 1 via Universal Canada.
Songs of Experience:
1. Love Is All We Have Left
2. Lights of Home
3. You're The Best Thing About Me
4. Get Out of Your Own Way
5. American Soul
6. Summer of Love
7. Red Flag Day
8. The Showman (Little More Better)
9. The Little Things That Give You Away
10. Landlady
11. The Blackout
12. Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way
13. 13 (There is a Light)
Tour dates:
05/02 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
05/04 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
05/07 San Jose, CA - SAP Center
05/11 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
05/15 Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
05/22 Chicago, IL - United Center
05/26 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
05/28 Atlanta, GA - Infinite Energy Arena
06/05 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
06/06 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
06/09 Uniondale, NY - NYCB Live
06/13 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
06/17 Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
06/21 Boston, MA - TD Garden
06/25 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
06/29 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
The new single is titled "Get Out of Your Own Way," and it features a spoken word section from Lamar. The rapper previously enlisted the band to perform on his track "XXX" from this year's DAMN. LP. You can hear "Get Out of Your Own Way" down below, where you'll also find the newly shared studio version of album track "The Blackout." That latter song previously arrived as a performance video earlier this year.
U2 have also shared the remaining details surrounding Songs of Experience, including a tracklist and album art. You can see the former below and the latter above. The cover art was done by Anton Corbijn.
A press release also explained this of the new album:
The lyrical approach of the album was greatly inspired by Irish poet, novelist and Trinity College, Dublin Professor Emeritus Brendan Kennelly's advice to Bono to "write as if you're dead,' resulting in a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singer's heart — family, friends, fans, himself.
As for that tour, it is a 15-date trek called the "eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour." It will serve as a sequel to the band's 2015 "iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour," and the 2018 trek will take them across the North American continent from the beginning of May and to the end of June.
A lone Canadian date on the itinerary will bring the band to Montreal's Bell Centre on June 5. Tickets for all dates go on sale November 20 at 10 a.m. local time. You can find all 15 dates listed below.
UPDATE (11/20, 12:20 p.m. EST): U2 have now added a second Montreal show on June 6.
Songs of Experience is also available for pre-order in a variety of formats. The album will arrive in standard and deluxe CD editions, in addition to a 2xLP vinyl set and a Super Deluxe box set. You can find further details here. The album is due out on December 1 via Universal Canada.
Songs of Experience:
1. Love Is All We Have Left
2. Lights of Home
3. You're The Best Thing About Me
4. Get Out of Your Own Way
5. American Soul
6. Summer of Love
7. Red Flag Day
8. The Showman (Little More Better)
9. The Little Things That Give You Away
10. Landlady
11. The Blackout
12. Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way
13. 13 (There is a Light)
Tour dates:
05/02 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
05/04 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
05/07 San Jose, CA - SAP Center
05/11 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
05/15 Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
05/22 Chicago, IL - United Center
05/26 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
05/28 Atlanta, GA - Infinite Energy Arena
06/05 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
06/06 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
06/09 Uniondale, NY - NYCB Live
06/13 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
06/17 Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
06/21 Boston, MA - TD Garden
06/25 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
06/29 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center