Just when you thought they were done with surprises, U2 drops a new EP ahead of their forthcoming full album, which is due sometime in 2026.
U2 released Easter Lily on Good Friday (Apr. 3, 2026). Like Days of Ash, Easter Lily is a “standalone” EP. The title is derived from the Patti Smith Group's 1978 album, Easter.
In the announcement, Easter Lily was described as a “more reflective set of songs emerging from a more personal, private place that some may retreat to in such times – exploring themes of friendship, loss, hope, and ultimately, renewal.”
Some of the questions Bono revealed it seeks to answer are: “Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship? Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward? Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…? Or are there answers to find in its crevices? Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives?”
Bono makes promise about U2's next album after Easter Lily drop
In U2's announcement for Easter Lily, Bono revealed that the band is still hard at work in the studio on their next album. He described it as a “noisy, messy, [and] ‘unreasonably colorful' album to play LIVE.”
“We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, ‘unreasonably colorful' album to play LIVE… which is where U2 lives. We still look to vivid rock n roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years' for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world,” said Bono.
Ultimately, it's an exciting time for U2 fans. It sounds like their next album will be a lot of fun. In the meantime, U2's Easter Lily is a personal listening experience for true fans.
“We will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist but in the meantime… this is between you and us,” Bono concluded.
