U2 have launched the next chapter of their recording career with the release of ‘Street Of Dreams’, the first single from the band’s forthcoming studio album, their first full-length collection of new material since 2017.
by Paul Cashmere
U2 have released ‘Street Of Dreams’, the lead single from the band’s forthcoming studio album, marking the first official preview of their first full-length studio record in nine years. Produced by longtime collaborator Jacknife Lee, the track reunites Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. ahead of an album expected later in 2026, while also arriving during a milestone year as the band prepares to celebrate 50 years since its formation.
The release represents the beginning of a new album campaign following an extended period in which U2 concentrated on touring, catalogue projects and standalone releases rather than a traditional studio album. Their previous studio album, Songs Of Experience, arrived in 2017, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and extending the band’s record as the only group to top that chart in four consecutive decades.
‘Street Of Dreams’ also follows February’s politically charged Days Of Ash EP and the reflective Easter Lily EP, both of which the band described as standalone projects separate from the forthcoming album. Bono previously said the EPs addressed contemporary events in real time, while the new album would explore a different creative direction.
The new single was produced by Jacknife Lee, who has become one of U2’s closest studio collaborators in recent years, having also worked on 2023’s ‘Atomic City’ and the band’s recent archival and contemporary recordings. According to the band, ‘Street Of Dreams’ delivers the signature sound developed by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., whose return to full recording activity follows his recovery from the injuries that kept him away from U2’s Las Vegas Sphere residency.
The accompanying music video was filmed in Mexico City during May while U2 were attending the 2026 Street Child World Cup Finals Tournament at Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco. Production centred around Plaza Santo Domingo, where large crowds gathered despite heavy rain and thunderstorms. During filming, a power generator failed because of the weather, prompting a local family to invite the band into their apartment, allowing scenes to be completed from the building’s balcony.
The single arrives during a landmark year for the Irish quartet. In September, U2 will mark 50 years since Larry Mullen Jr. posted a handwritten notice on the bulletin board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin seeking musicians to form a band. That advertisement ultimately brought together Mullen, Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton, establishing one of rock music’s longest running and most successful line-ups.
Across five decades, U2 have released 15 studio albums, sold more than 175 million records worldwide, collected 22 Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their catalogue has evolved from the politically driven urgency of War through the reinvention of Achtung Baby, the commercial success of All That You Can’t Leave Behind and later releases including Songs Of Innocence and Songs Of Experience.
The years since 2017 have seen the group remain active despite the absence of a new studio album. They staged the acclaimed U2 Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency in Las Vegas, released the re-recorded Songs Of Surrender collection in 2023 and revisited the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb sessions through the companion release How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb in 2024. Earlier this year they also issued the companion EPs Days Of Ash and Easter Lily, projects positioned outside the framework of the forthcoming album.
While those EPs focused on current affairs, humanitarian themes and personal reflection, ‘Street Of Dreams’ signals the formal beginning of U2’s next studio cycle. The band has not yet announced the album’s title or release date, but the arrival of its first single confirms that a new studio collection will be released before the end of 2026.
‘Street Of Dreams’ is available now as a digital download and across streaming platforms, with the music video also released simultaneously.
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