U2 has debuted a new track called “Luckiest Man in the World,” a previously unreleased song that will appear on the bonus disc of the Irish rockers’ 20th anniversary reissue of their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
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The soaring, melodic alt-rock anthem is available now via digital formats. In addition, an accompanying lyric video for the tune has premiered at U2’s YouTube channel. The clip featured striking black, red, and white graphics, echoing the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album art.
[Buy Tickets for the V-U2 Concert Film]
“Luckiest Man in the World” is a completed version of a song that initially featured the working title “Mercy,” an early demo of which was leaked online about 20 years ago.
About the “Shadow Album” Featured on the Reissue
The track will be included in what U2 is calling a “shadow album” to How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, titled How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb. The 10-song collection will be part of the How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb reissue. It includes tracks originally recorded during sessions for the 2004 album that recently were rediscovered in U2’s archives.
How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb also features the previously unheard tunes “Treason,” “Evidence of Life,” “Country Mile,” and “Happiness.” Rounding out the album are five newly remastered tracks—“Picture of You (X+W),” “Don’t Wanna See You Smile,” “Are We Gonna Wait Forever?,” “Theme from The Batman,” and “All Because of You 2.”
[RELATED: 4 Key Tracks from U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb]
U2 guitarist The Edge oversaw the creation of How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb.
“Although at the time we left these songs to one side, with the benefit of hindsight we recognize that our initial instincts about them being contenders for the album were right, we were onto something,” he said in a statement. “What you’re getting on this shadow album is that raw energy of discovery, the visceral impact of the music, a sonic narrative, a moment in time, the exploration and interaction of four musicians playing together in a room. … [T]his is the pure U2 drop.”
The How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 20th anniversary reissue was released in multiple formats and configurations on November 22. A standalone How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb vinyl LP will be released on November 29 as part of the Record Store Day’s 2024 Black Friday event.
About How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Released on November 22, 2004, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was U2’s 11th studio album. The album reached No. 1 in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, and more than 30 other countries.
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was produced by U2’s frequent studio collaborator Steve Lillywhite. The album included the Top-40 hit “Vertigo,” as well as such other popular tunes as “All Because of You,” “”Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” and “City of Blinding Lights.”
About the U2 Concert Film at Sphere in Las Vegas
U2 currently has no tour dates scheduled. Fans interested in seeing the band performing may want to head to Las Vegas to watch the rock legends’ new immersive concert film, V-U2. The film is being shown exclusively at Sphere, where U2 played a residency from September 2023 to March 2024.
V-U2 was co-directed by The Edge and his wife, choreographer Morleigh Steinberg. The film captures one specific U2 show during the band’s 40-date engagement at the state-of-the-art venue.
Screenings of V-U2 currently are scheduled through the end of March 2025.
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