New EP Days of Ash features songs about Renee Good, Iranian protesters and other political topics, and precedes new ‘defiantly joyful’ album later in 2026
Alexis Petridis on Days of Ash: six new tracks that reaffirm the band as a vital political voice
U2 have released their first collection of new music since 2017 – a politically charged EP entitled Days of Ash, which focuses on a series of high-profile global deaths including the killing of Renee Good by ICE agents.
Good, a mother of three children who was killed on 7 January while protesting against ICE activity in Minneapolis, is the subject of the opening song, American Obituary.
“Renee Good, born to die free / American mother of three / seventh day January / a bullet for each child, as you can see,” Bono sings on the hard rock song, after a forthright, pealing riff from the Edge. “Renee, the ‘domestic terrorist’? / What you can’t kill can’t die / America will rise against the people of the lie.”
