Kevin Mazur/WireImageU2 has just delivered an unexpected but welcome Christmas present for fans. Not only is there a new album on the way in 2017, but they’ll be hitting the road for a very special outing.
In a video posted without fanfare Sunday on their website and other social media, and titled “Happy Christmas,” the band is gathered in a recording studio. The Edge strums “The Little Drummer Boy” and Bono sings along, while Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton decorate a tree behind them.
“Next year’s going to be a big year for the U2 group,” says Bono. “We have Songs of Experience coming, and to honor thirty years of Joshua Tree, we have some very special shows coming. Very special.”
Bono then whispers, “Joshua Tree” as the band leaves the frame, the lights dim, and we see what could be a small joshua tree in the center of the studio, wrapped in garland and draped with Christmas ornaments.
Songs of Experience was promised three years ago, when U2 released their surprise, Grammy-nominated album Songs of Innocence. They backed that project with their Innocence + Experience Tour the next year, which grossed over $150 million worldwide and was recorded for an HBO special.
The Joshua Tree, U2’s fifth studio album, was released March 7, 1987 and is still considered one of the band’s master works, featuring the hit singles "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.” It’s since sold over 25 million copies. Two years ago, the Library of Congress selected The Joshua Tree for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
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