Over 30 years since they filmed the music video for “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,” U2 has returned to Las Vegas ahead of their Sphere shows. With Larry Mullen Jr. by their side, Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton premiered a brand new song, “Atomic City.”
A special event was taking place in Las Vegas this weekend, with locals having no idea who was going to show up. The full U2 band came and shot a music video for their new single, “Atomic City,” which is rumored to release ahead of their Sphere shows.
Videos surfaced of U2's performance, and it's also said that Bono and The Edge performed a verse of the aforementioned Joshua Tree hit, “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.”
As for the new song, “Atomic City,” the low-quality phone footage makes it hard to distinguish all of the words. Luckily, U2Songs.com did a transcription of the lyrics. The song talks about “stars falling out of the sky,” a line similar to one in “Iris (Hold Me Close),” and UFOs on their way home.
Sonically, Clayton's funky bass drives the song in what sounds a bit like “Vertigo” and something off of their Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience albums — perhaps a bit of a mix between “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” and “Red Flag Day.” Either way, U2 is clearly paying homage to the post-punk bands that inspired them with “Atomic City” and the city that they will reside in for the next few months.
For those unfamiliar, U2 being together with all four members is significant. The band hasn't played a live show in nearly 4 years since the 2019 leg of their “Joshua Tree” anniversary tour. Larry Mullen Jr., who formed the band, will miss the Las Vegas Sphere shows due to his recovery from surgery. However, he did play on the studio track of “Atomic City” as well. Perhaps a comeback is near after the Sphere shows wrap up.
The rest of U2 are less than two weeks away from opening of the Sphere in Las Vegas. Their shows, properly dubbed “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere,” will pay homage to the titular Achtung Baby. The band will play it in full for the first time ever at the brand new Sphere venue.