U2 drops 'Street of Dreams' as first single from upcoming album, first in nine years
The Irish rock band surprised fans on Tuesday with the digital release of 'Street of Dreams', the lead single from their as-yet-untitled 15th studio album, expected later this year.
Surprise single after nine-year wait
U2 released "Street of Dreams" on July 7 without prior announcement, marking the first preview of their upcoming studio album. The album, still untitled, will be the band's first collection of entirely new material since 2017's Songs of Experience. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the single is available on all major streaming platforms and as a digital download. The release comes as the band prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their formation in September 2026, when Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note on a Dublin school noticeboard seeking musicians.
Video shoot interrupted by storm in Mexico City
The accompanying music video was filmed in May in Mexico City, where the band attended the 2026 Street Child World Cup Finals Tournament at Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco. Directed by Mexican American duo Cliqua (Pasqual Gutiérrez and Raúl "RJ" Sanchez), the shoot near Plaza Santo Domingo drew a large crowd despite threatening weather. Thunder and rain caused a generator to fail, forcing the production to halt. A local family then invited Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. into their apartment, allowing the band to finish filming from the balcony. The video shows the quartet performing atop a graffiti-covered bus painted by Mexican artist Chavis Mármol, with Bono singing lines in Spanish: "La calle de los sueños / All the doors are open on the street of dreams." The clip ends with poncho-wearing fans chanting "U2! U2!" as rain pours down.
A return to classic U2 sound
Critics note the song's upbeat, radio-friendly energy, drawing comparisons to the band's 2004 hit "Vertigo." The Irish Times described it as "a buzzy, uplifting number" with "every bit of its radio-friendly sheen." The track features The Edge's signature chiming guitars and Bono's multi-tracked vocals, building to an anthemic chorus. Lyrically, it offers affirmations like "Be here / Be free / Be yourself / And then free me," a contrast to the politically charged material on their recent EP Days of Ash. Billboard highlighted the call-and-response section over Adam Clayton's bassline and the "soaring, triumphal" feel.
Recent EPs and the road to a new album
Earlier this year, U2 released two six-song EPs: Days of Ash on Ash Wednesday (February 18) and Easter Lily on Good Friday (April 3). Bono stated that those tracks were "very different in mood and theme" from the upcoming album and "couldn't wait" to be released.
The band's last full-length release was 2023's Songs of Surrender, a collection of re-recorded classics. With "Street of Dreams," U2 signals a return to new, original material as they approach their 50th anniversary.These EP tracks couldn't wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world.
- U2 forms in Dublin after Larry Mullen Jr. posts a note seeking musicians.
- Songs of Experience released, the last all-new studio album.
- Songs of Surrender, a collection of re-recorded songs, is released.
- Days of Ash EP released on Ash Wednesday.
- Easter Lily EP released on Good Friday.
- Video for 'Street of Dreams' filmed in Mexico City.
- 'Street of Dreams' single released.
- 50th anniversary of U2's formation.
- New studio album expected.
