U2 2018 Tour Expands; Hear ‘Songs of Experience’

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The Songs of Experience album cover features an image by Anton Corbijn of band-members’ teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans

On Aug. 29, U2 announced they’d soon be offering details about their upcoming album Songs of Experience. The next day, they posted the performance video for “The Blackout,” a song from the album and throughout September continued the mammoth teaser campaign.

On Nov. 1, the band not only offered complete details of Songs of Experience, their 14th studio album, which arrived Dec. 1 via Interscope Records, and unveiled a new song. (Hear several below.) They also announced through Live Nation details of their 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour, which will begin in North America in May.

Just as Songs of Experience serves as a companion piece to 2014’s Songs of Innocence, the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour will continue to serve as a sequel to 2015’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour. There were initially many days off in between dates which were subsequently filled with second dates in several cities. Full itinerary below.

Listen to “Lights of Home”

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.

Listen to “Red Flag Day”

Watch the video for the new album’s “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” released Sept. 27

Songs of Experience, with album artwork by Anton Corbijn, is the companion release to 2014’s ‘Songs of Innocence’, the two titles drawing inspiration from a collection of poems, Songs of Innocence and Experience, by the 18th century English mystic and poet William Blake. Produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder, with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow and Jolyon Thomas, the album features a cover image by Anton Corbijn of band-members’ teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans.

Song of Experience Track Listing (Order the deluxe edition here)

Love Is All We Have Left
Lights of Home
You’re The Best Thing About Me
Get Out of Your Own Way
American Soul
Summer of Love
Red Flag Day
The Showman (Little More Better)
The Little Things That Give You Away
Landlady
The Blackout
Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way
13 (There is a Light)

Deluxe Edition Also Includes:

Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Mix)
Book of Your Heart
Lights of Home (St. Peter’s String Version)
You’re The Best Thing About Me (U2 vs. Kygo)

On Nov. 20, U2 released a lyric video for “American Soul”

U2 2018 Tour Dates (Tickets are available here and here)

May 02 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
May 04 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
May 07 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
May 08 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
May 11 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
May 12 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
May 15 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
May 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
May 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center
May 23 – Chicago, IL – United Center
May 26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
May 28 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Arena
June 5 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
June 5 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
June 9 – Uniondale, NY – NYCB Live
June 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
June 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
June 17 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
June 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
June 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
June 22 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
June 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 29 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

U2 celebrated the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree with a massive North American stadium tour in 2017, which was followed by a European tour. Our recap of the tour’s May 12 opening night.