U2 has released a surprise six-song EP called Days of Ash, its first collection of new songs in nearly a decade. The EP includes a tribute to Renée Good, a 33-year-old American mother of three who was shot and killed by ICE agents in January.
The track American Obituary is dedicated to Good. Bono sings, “Renée Good born to die free / American mother of three / Seventh day / January / A bullet for each child, you see.” The lyrics also ask, “To desecrate domestic bliss / Three bullets blast, three babies kissed / Renee the domestic terrorist? / What you can’t kill can’t die / America will rise / Against the people of the lie.”
According to The Daily Beast, the song goes beyond Good’s death to challenge broader public silence and apathy. Bono sings, “Could you stop a bullet in midair?” and “Could you stop a heart from breaking / By having it not care?” The track also includes the line, “You have the right to remain silent / or not…”
U2’s tribute comes as fellow musicians also speak out against the Trump administration
U2’s release comes around the same time as Bruce Springsteen’s song Streets of Minneapolis, which remembered both Renée Good and Alex Pretti, described as “two dead left to die on snow-filled streets.” Springsteen also released an anti-Trump EP called Land of Hope and Dreams, in which he called the administration “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous.” Public frustration with ICE has been growing, with reports of ICE agents using deceptive tactics to detain people raising serious concerns across the country.
Last spring, Trump said Springsteen “ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT.” Bono responded on a late-night show, saying, “There’s only one boss in America,” in a show of support for Springsteen. Debates around ICE and its operations have even made their way into schools, with students clashing over voicing support for ICE becoming a flashpoint in recent months.
U2 have emerged from a long hiatus with a surprise six-song EP, 'Days of Ash,' where they address political flashpoints around the world, including ICE raids, the Iranian uprisings, the war in Ukraine, and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) February 18, 2026
Details: https://t.co/NtbxC46NHE pic.twitter.com/NU9zcsYnvJ
The other five tracks on Days of Ash are Yours Eternally, Songs of the Future, The Tears of Things, One Life at a Time, and Wildpeace. Together, they touch on global issues including Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and Israel. One track, Yours Eternally, features Grammy winner Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote the song.
On this Ash Wednesday, Days Of Ash is released as a self-contained collection of five new songs and a selected poem – American Obituary, The Tears Of Things, Song Of The Future, Wildpeace, One Life At A Time and Yours Eternally (ft. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia). This new EP is a… pic.twitter.com/iagPGWRLEB
— U2 (@U2) February 18, 2026
It is written as a letter from a Ukrainian soldier on the front lines and also features Taras Topolia from the Ukrainian pop-rock band Antytila. Bono has confirmed that none of these tracks will appear on U2’s next studio album, which he says will have “a carnival vibe” and “a more defiantly joyful feel.” U2’s last full-length album, Songs of Experience, came out in 2017.
