{"id":2356551,"date":"2026-04-03T05:48:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T05:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2356551"},"modified":"2026-04-03T05:48:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T05:48:26","slug":"u2-mark-good-friday-with-another-surprise-new-ep-easter-lily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/u2-mark-good-friday-with-another-surprise-new-ep-easter-lily\/","title":{"rendered":"U2 mark Good Friday with another surprise new EP: \u2018Easter Lily\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/u2\">U2<\/a> have marked Good Friday by surprise releasing another new standalone EP. Check out \u2018Easter Lily\u2019 below.<\/p>\n<p>Released today (Friday April 3), \u2018Easter Lily\u2019 follows on from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/u2-surprise-release-politically-charged-days-of-ash-ep-these-songs-were-impatient-to-be-out-in-the-world-they-are-songs-of-defiance-and-dismay-3930166\">February\u2019s \u201cdefiant\u201d and politically-charged \u2018Days Of Ash\u2019 EP,<\/a> which was released on Ash Wednesday. The six new tracks again come as a \u201cseparate, self-contained collection\u201d of new music while sessions for the Irish rock giants\u2019 15th album remain ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>In keeping with the religious holiday, the \u2018Easter Lily\u2019 EP is described as a \u201cmuch more reflective set of songs\u201d compared to its predecessor, \u201cemerging from a more personal, private place that some may retreat to in such times \u2013 exploring themes of friendship, loss, hope, and ultimately, renewal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Easter Lily EP\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/1DY06ZzIoHYFQ83jPfm9aF?si=Gnm20uXkTEe1xMxSeOPGww&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Leaning into U2\u2019s classic arena-ready rock hymnal sound, the EP comes fronted by\u00a0\u2018Song For Hal\u2019. With the repeated mantra of \u201c<em>you\u2019re not alone\u201d<\/em>, the song is described by the band as \u201ca COVID-19 lockdown lament\u201d and dedicated to friend and music-maker, Hal Willner, who would have turned 70 on Easter Monday but passed away almost six years ago to the day.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the open road anthemics of \u2018In a Life\u2019 is designed as \u201ca song celebrating friendship\u201d while the tender \u2018Scars\u2019 delivers a message of \u201cencouragement and acceptance\u201d as Bono pines: \u201c<em>All the tyrants that you\u2019ve defeated, the only that\u2019s left is you<\/em>\u201c.<\/p>\n<p>A Las Vegas Sphere-sized dose of signature U2, \u2018Resurrection Song\u2019 comes inspired by \u201cpilgrimage, a road trip into the unknown with a lover or friend\u201d while the seasonal and kaleidoscopic \u2018Easter Parade\u2019 offers \u201ca celebration of new life, rebirth and resurrection\u201d over synths and towering Edge guitarwork. Closing track \u2018COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)\u2019 is a sombre, spoken word-led <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/bon-iver\">Bon Iver<\/a> style \u201clullaby for parents of children caught up in war\u201d aided by soundscape from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/brian-eno\">Brian Eno<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3938239\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3938239\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3938239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">U2 surprise release new EP \u2018Easter Lily\u2019. Credit: Press<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>The new EP again comes with a new special digital e-zine edition of U2\u2019s own fanzine <em>Propaganda<\/em>, featuring lyrics, a piece of producer Jacknife Lee and contributions from the four band members with sleeve notes from The Edge, Adam Clayton on art and the journey of recovery, a conversation between Bono and Franciscan friar Richard Rohr and photographs by Larry Mullen Jr.<\/p>\n<p>The first issue of <em>Propaganda<\/em> was delivered to U2 fans 40 years ago in February 1986, inspired by \u201cthe punk-era D.I.Y. zine culture that embraced attitude, ideas and dialogue\u201d. Check out the new issue <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/u2.lnk.to\/EasterLilyMicrosite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3930169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3930169\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3930169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270.jpg\" alt=\"U2\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270-800x508.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270-696x442.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270-1392x884.jpg 1392w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/u2@2000x1270-1068x678.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3930169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">U2. Credit: Anton Corbijn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The tracklisting for\u00a0\u2018U2\u00a0\u2013 Easter Lily\u2019 EP\u00a0is:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u2018Song For Hal\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u2018In A Life\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u2018Scars\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u2018Resurrection Song\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u2018Easter Parade\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>\u2018COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)\u2019 \u2013 ft. a new soundscape by Brian Eno<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As far back as 2024, guitarist <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/u2s-the-edge-says-their-new-album-is-not-a-straight-up-rock-thing-3813269\">The Edge shared that U2\u2019s next record would not be \u201ca straight-up rock thing\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0Last summer saw <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/bono-ready-for-the-future-with-u2-and-band-have-25-great-songs-for-new-album-3869776\">Bono share that he was \u201cready for the future\u201d with U2, with the band having written \u201c25 great songs<\/a>\u201d for their new album. Earlier in the year while discussing the writing process, the frontman said that <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/bono-on-u2-new-album-got-to-deal-with-past-to-get-to-present-3865470\">U2 were overcoming the past to make \u201cthe sound of the future<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>When asked by US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel how progress on new music \u2013 which will mark the follow-up to 2017\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/u2-songs-experience-album-review-2166333\">\u2018Songs Of Experience\u2019<\/a> \u2013 was shaping up, Bono responded: \u201cWe\u2019ve been in the studio and you\u2019ve sometimes got to deal with the past to get to the present, in order to make the sound of the future. That\u2019s what we want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cIt\u2019s the sound of four men, who feel like their lives depend on it. I remind them, they do. Nobody needs a new U2 album unless it\u2019s an extraordinary one. I\u2019m feeling very strong about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('consent', 'revoke');\n  fbq('init', '370979561341328');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nme.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U2 have marked Good Friday by surprise releasing another new standalone EP. Check out \u2018Easter Lily\u2019 below. Released today (Friday April 3), \u2018Easter Lily\u2019 follows on from February\u2019s \u201cdefiant\u201d and politically-charged \u2018Days Of Ash\u2019 EP, which was released on Ash Wednesday. The six new tracks again come as a \u201cseparate, self-contained collection\u201d of new music [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2356552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[21939],"class_list":["post-2356551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-rock"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/U2-mark-Good-Friday-with-another-surprise-new-EP-\u2018Easter.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2356551"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2356553,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356551\/revisions\/2356553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2356552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2356551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2356551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2356551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}