U2 Releases EP Easter Lily on Good Friday

U2 released their second surprise EP of 2026, Easter Lily, on Good Friday, April 3, marking a shift to more introspective themes six weeks after the politically focused Days of Ash. The six-track collection, available immediately on streaming platforms and YouTube, explores spirituality, friendship, loss, and hope, distinct from the band's ongoing work on a full-length studio album.

The EP arrives as Lent concludes, bookending the season with releases that reflect contrasting responses to global turmoil. Days of Ash, dropped on Ash Wednesday, February 18, addressed war and strife worldwide. Easter Lily, by contrast, delves into personal resilience. Bono described the songs as prompting questions about relationships in challenging times, the endurance of faith amid distorted meanings, and the value of rituals and ceremonies. "With Easter Lily we ended up asking very personal questions like: 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?" he wrote in a statement to fans. He added a nod to Patti Smith's 1978 album Easter, which inspired the title and...