U2 have released their first new music in almost two years, ‘Ahimsa’, with A.R. Rahman.
Bono and co’s spiritual new track with the legendary Indian music producer – who recorded ‘Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)’ with The Pussycat Dolls in 2009 – comes ahead of their first show in India, which sees them bring their acclaimed ‘Joshua Tree Tour’ to Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on December 15.
The song tackles non-violence (ahimsa) and aims to spread love.
Bono sings: "This is an invitation/to a high location/For someone who wants to belong.
"This is a meditation/On your radio station/If you like it you can sing along/Ahimsa."
Rahman explained to Rolling Stone: "The concept of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence — it’s Indian, it’s South Asian, it’s Buddhist … and sometimes we have to remind people about love, about ahimsa.
"It takes a lot of courage to be non-violent.
"It takes a lot of power.
"It’s not a weakness, it’s more power than showing might; it’s going beyond that, believing in something else which is not present … something that’s only in your spirit."
‘Ahimsa’ is the first track from the Irish group since their 2017 LP ‘Songs of Experience’.
Meanwhile, guitarist The Edge, 58, previously said it will be a "tantalising" trip to India and he can’t wait to meet their Indian fans for the first time in their career spanning four decades.
He said: "For me [the most exciting thing is] actually getting to meet our Indian audience and see who they are – and visiting this incredible subcontinent for the first time.
"It’s going to be a frustration not being able to do so many things on a time constraint, but the chance to put your toe in the water is tantalising and exciting."
Whilst frontman Bono, 59, admitted that he doesn’t expect the crowd to have the same raucous response to their show, because they haven’t "put in the time" to perform in the subcontinent before.
He added: "We have been spoiled over the years by the reaction of U2 fans.
"We’re used to walking out into a roar like a 747 taking off.
"And we earned that in this city [New York] or Boston – all across the United States, we played clubs, we played to a hundred people, two hundred people.
"We haven’t done that in India and we don’t have a right to expect that same roar.
"We haven’t put in the time. But we’re going, and we will try to be worthy of people’s interest in us."
The show will mark the final of the ‘Vertigo’ hitmakers tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1987 LP ‘The Joshua Tree’, which began back in 2017.
U2 return with new song Ahimsa with A.R. Rahman
