U2 Targets ICE in Fiery Return With Politically Charged EP

U2’s first new music in seven years arrives with urgency and confrontation. The six-song EP Days of Ash takes aim at powerful institutions and leaders, including immigration enforcement in the United States, Iran’s clerical establishment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The opening track, “American Obituary,” recounts the death of Renee Good, a Minneapolis mother of three reportedly killed by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a protest, according to The Guardian. In an interview published in the Propaganda fanzine, frontman Bono condemned Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem for describing Good as a “domestic terrorist,” calling the characterization an attack on truth and urging an independent investigation into the killing.

Other songs address Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom uprising, the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, and the human cost of conflicts stretching from Sudan to Ukraine. In the same interview, Bono criticized Iran’s ruling clerics, described Hathaleen’s death as “heinous,” and called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack “evil,” while also condemning what he termed the “sweeping brutality” of Netanyahu’s military response. He warned that Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine and, unchecked, could reach even further into Europe.

The EP closes with “Yours Eternally,” featuring guest appearances by Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian soldier-musician Taras Topolia. A companion documentary tied to the song is set for release next week to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Bono said the Days of Ash material differs sharply from songs planned for U2’s upcoming album later this year. “These EP tracks couldn’t wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world,” he said. “They are songs of defiance and dismay, of lamentation. Songs of celebration will follow—we’re working on those now. For all the awfulness we see normalized daily on our small screens, there’s nothing normal about these mad and maddening times, and we need to stand up to them before we can go back to having faith in the future.”