“Carnaval de Luz” explained by U2: “A political album against cynicism”

The Edge emphasises the social dimension of the project, focusing on Carnival as a ritual that allows people to continue meeting in person, in contrast to the isolation of the modern keyboard: ‘We’re very interested in ritual gatherings and their significance,’ says the guitarist. ‘Music festivals are a modern version of those rituals. People come together because they’re seeking a sense of community. They’re looking for something that can transform them. They’re looking for a way to understand where they’re heading and what’s happening in the world.’

It is a theme that runs throughout the album and emerges even more clearly when discussing the music video for The Greatest Show On Earth, directed by Anton Corbijn in the Californian desert. For The Edge, the desert also represents an antidote to the toxic atmosphere that dominates global public debate.

‘Today we are bombarded by a ceaseless stream of negativity,’ he observes. ‘In part, this album stems precisely from the question of what we can say in response not only to the bad news, but above all to the sense of constant despair that everyone has to face every day.’ The conclusion of this line of reasoning is explicitly political: ‘I don’t think the situation is hopeless. I believe the thing we must resist is cynicism. If you give in to cynicism, then it’s “game over”. We must hold on to the idea that things can be renewed, that they can change direction, that they can surprise you.’

Fifty years in the business is an accolade that few bands have managed to pin on their chests. “It feels like a lifetime,” says Larry Mullen Jr. “Making this album and releasing it in the band’s fiftieth year is something none of us would ever have imagined. In a way, this album is a reaffirmation of those youthful ideals: to form a band and change the world. I don’t know if we’ve actually changed the world, but we’ve certainly changed our own (laughs, ed. ). It still amazes me that we’ve managed to stay together for so long.”

But how has U2’s way of working changed over all this time? “We’ve broadened the very concept of a band,” replies The Edge. “Sometimes we’d all play together, other times in pairs or on our own. We simply followed our inspiration, without any rigid structures. That kept everything very fresh. It never became a mechanical process. I’d walk into the studio and perhaps find Larry and Adam had recorded something extraordinary, or I’d add a guitar part to something that already existed. At the crucial moments we were always a band, but we didn’t have a set method. We let the songs guide us.”

Bono echoes this: ‘We’re gaining a better understanding of what a rock band can do that other types of bands can’t: minimalism. The early albums by The Police, for example, are incredibly stripped-back. Nirvana had that quality too. When we recorded Vertigo, its power came from the absence of overdubs. We tried to strip the sound back wherever possible. But we didn’t want to limit ourselves to that. We’re also interested in the colours, atmospheres and nuances of The Unforgettable Fire. And I think Carnaval de Luz contains a bit of all that.”

Here and there, their punk roots come to the surface. “We’ve never really been into prog rock,” quips bassist Adam Clayton, “so we always go back to the things we grew up with. The ones that, on a visceral level, convey energy, power and enthusiasm. I think we’ve rediscovered that very spark in these songs. We’re always looking for the emotional essence of a track, and we’re very strict with ourselves about removing anything that might distract from that emotion.”

On Silencio, for example, there’s yet another tribute to the Ramones: ‘Every time I hear it, it makes me smile,’ says Bono. ‘Where did our love go? Hey! Jesus of Rio’.

Then there’s the matter of concerts: over the past 50 years, U2 have also been a tireless live band, and Carnaval de Luz will be ‘brought to life’ as part of the The Greatest Show on Earth World Tour 2027, scheduled for next summer with two dates, on 5 and 6 July, at San Siro. “We’ve got an idea. Something truly special,’ reveals Bono. ‘And it’s surprisingly simple. The Carnival is staged in a very different way from how you might imagine. Some people who come to see U2 have been following us since the band began. Others have only recently discovered us. Our first task is to surprise ourselves. Then we want to reach the audience, shake them up and let ourselves be shaken up in turn. It’s always been that way.” From I Will Follow to Torn, the journey is shorter than you might think. You just have to pass through the place where the streets have no names.