New York, NY (Top40 Charts) To mark the release of Songs Of Surrender, Island Records, Interscope and Universal
Music today share details of U2SOS40, a unique collaborative project which has seen 40 artists and creators from around the world invited to create a 60 second piece of content, each soundtracked by re-recorded U2 song.
The result is 40 new visual interpretations of U2's music - 40 stories by 40 creatives - to mark the release of Songs Of Surrender, a collection of 40 seminal U2 songs from across the band's catalogue, re-recorded and re-imagined for 2023.
Artists include Indian-born Tanima Mehrotra who documented her local skate crew in Mexico City who "embody the kind of freedom that comes with youthful curiosity"; Ben Elias, a director and cinematographer from New Zealand whose film is "a walking tour of Aotearoa starring my grandparents"; Alana O'Herlihy, a multidisciplinary photographer, director and mixed media artist who "…decided to take the very serious subject matter that Sunday Bloody Sunday is about, and juxtapose it with those coming of age moments for women, and that loss of innocence."; and Yanya Yatsuk, a U.S.-based Ukrainian-born photographer who wanted to "make something that told a story about love".
Each piece will be shared by the respective creator on their social media channels over the coming weeks, linked by the hashtag #U2SOS40.
The list of 40 artists includes:
Yana Yatsuk - Pride
Donte Colley -With or Without You
Actual Objects - Stories For Boys
Elle Johnson - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Maddy Rotman - 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Blu DeTiger - Desire
Alana O'Herlihy - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Ben
Elias - 40
Goldmond Fong - Stay (Faraway, So Close)
Mitch DeQuilettes - Beautiful Day
Terry O'Connor / Benny
Drama - Two Hearts Beat As One
Ella Mai Weisskamp - Dirty Day
Dylan McGale - Red Hill Mining Town
Tanima Mehrotra - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Sam Dameshek - City of Blinding Lights
Phil Berge - Electrical Storm
fromm.studio - Bad
Byron Spencer - Ordinary Love
Kelly Butts-Spirito - If God Will Send His Angels
Praise for Songs Of Surender:
"A stunning showcase of milestone moments and more." - CLASH
"More than just an acoustic greatest hits, the band's latest [album] is uniquely revealing and emotionally resonant." - ROLLING STONE
"What is left when you strip everything away? A voice raised in hope, togetherness, a song. Perfect!" - IRISH EXAMINER
"A reminder that …U2 have exceptional songs in their back catalogue" - TOP40-CHARTS
"U2 reworks past in thrilling 'Songs of Surrender'" - ASSOCIATED PRESS
"Four decades on, U2 is still redefining the parameters of their music." - ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK
Also released today in conjunction with Songs Of Surrender, a one-hour Zane Lowe interview special on Apple
Music along with a first-ever NPR Tiny Desk appearance by Bono and The Edge. The pair also visited the BBC's legendary Maida Vale studios last month to perform three tracks for
Radio 2's Piano Room accompanied by members of the BBC Concert Orchestra: "
Vertigo", "One" plus a cover of ABBA's "SOS". Listen here.
Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming, with Dave Letterman will premiere on Disney+. Directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker
Morgan Neville, the film captures Dave Letterman on his first visit to Dublin to hang out with Bono and The Edge in their hometown, experience Dublin, and join the two U2 musicians for a concert performance unlike any they've done before. Watch trailer here.
Songs Of Surrender - a collection of 40 seminal U2 songs from across the band's catalogue, re-recorded and re-imagined for 2023 in sessions spanning the last two years, will be released in full on Friday 17th March. The first track to be made available from this brand new set of recordings is the anthemic "
Pride (In The Name Of Love)", listen below:
Songs Of Surrender is curated and produced by The Edge and sees the band revisit some of the most celebrated songs of their 40+ year career, including "
With Or Without You", "One", "
Beautiful Day", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "
Invisible", for a musical reimagining resulting in a completely new recording of each track, to include the arrangements and, in some cases, new lyrics.
The complete Songs Of Surrender track listing is:
Side 1 - The Edge
One
Where The
Streets Have No Name
Stories For Boys
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Out Of Control
Beautiful Day
Bad
Every Breaking Wave
Walk On (Ukraine)
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Side 2 - Larry
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Get Out Of Your Own Way
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Red Hill Mining Town
Ordinary Love
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Invisible
Dirty Day
The Miracle Of Joey Ramone
City Of Blinding Lights
Side 3 - Adam
Vertigo
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Electrical Storm
The Fly
If God Will Send His Angels
Desire
Until The End Of The World
Song For Someone
All I Want Is You
Peace On Earth
Side 4 - Bono
With Or Without You
Stay
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Lights Of Home
Cedarwood Road
I Will Follow
Two Hearts Beat As One
Miracle Drug
The
Little Things That Give You Away
40
Songs Of Surrender is available in the following formats: Full 40 track Digital; Limited Edition 40 track 2 x CD Hardback Deluxe; and Limited Edition 40 track 4 x Vinyl. Pre order now.
