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The Edge explains U2’s nine-year gap following last studio album in 2017: “We needed a bit of a break”
U2 guitarist The Edge says the band’s long gap between studio albums gave them time to pause and reassess, while drummer Larry Mullen Jr recovered from major surgery. The explanation adds personal and practical context to the nine years since 2017’s *Songs of Experience*.
U2 also faced delays from the pandemic and remained active, including a Las Vegas Sphere residency and the 2023 rework collection *Songs of Surrender*. Mullen sat out the residency after neck surgery for drumming-related injuries; The Edge also described making the new album with producer Jacknife Lee as enjoyable. The band has added four dates to its planned 2027 European tour.
In short
- The Edge says U2 needed time to pause and reassess.
- Mullen’s recovery from neck surgery contributed to the album gap.
- U2 added four dates to its 2027 European tour.
Explained simply
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. The Edge is the band’s guitarist, while Larry Mullen Jr is its drummer; both have been members since its early years.
The band’s 2017 album, Songs of Experience, followed a career spanning several decades. Since then, they have continued to perform and release music, including a 2023 collection of reworked songs, while Mullen recovered from surgery for injuries linked to drumming.
The gap between studio albums matters because recording new material is a different part of the band’s work from touring or revisiting earlier songs. The pandemic and Mullen’s recovery provide practical context for the pause in recording.