U2’s Political Influence Through Popular Music

The Irish rock band U2 that formed in 1976 has continued to surprise me with their
music that often embellishes sociopolitical themes. U2’s members are Bono (vocals), Edge
(guitar and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums). Not only is U2
known as the most musically innovative bands in history, but since the band has been together,
they’ve been active through their voice and lyrics to change the world and people’s perspectives.
U2 has achieved substantial commercial and critical success, selling millions of records and
performing sold-out arena concerts well known for their unique visual effects. They have been
acknowledged for their political dedication to humanitarian ideals and Christian principles. More
specifically, U2’s “Songs of Experience” exploits ideas of masculinity and the power of having a
voice and expressing emotion. Music is a chance to convey something ubiquitous, which
connects with the artist’s and audience when they personally are struggling to put it into words.
The euphoria in the arena gets people on their feet and into tears at how the artist targeted the
feelings the listener is experiencing at that moment. Moreover, the combination of the rapture
and elation that comes with sharing that feeling with thousands of people simultaneously. What
is more rock and roll than that? I claim that “Songs of Experience” conveys the importance of
expression and how masculinity is justified in popular music. I will discuss the controversy of
masculinity in the music industry and how it correlates with expression using U2 as an individual
example.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bono said, “I think music has gotten very girly.” He
claims that with the exception of hip hop, the recording industry was lacking a place for young
men to express their anger and thoughts at the world. Questions you might be asking are what
about punk? Metal? Bono claims that music, along with other popular culture, has become
feminized. People immediately shot down Bono’s notion accusing him of promoting male
privilege. Expressing that male anger struggles to find a vent in popular music is dissimilar to
saying that female anger either doesn’t exist or isn’t relevant. In “A Spy in the House of Love,”
by Ann Powers, Ellen Willis a feminist critic of rock writes, “Individuals, [communities, and
society] could be enlightened by the ‘ecstatic experience’ of visions expressed through music’s
rhythm and noise and that such joy might lead us to create different ways of loving and sharing
power” (Powers, 40). Jennifer Lena notes in “Music Genres Hip Hop” that, “music is a
participatory, community-based activity…we discover more evidence that debates over political
content of music is keyed to the scale of the community size” (Lena, 3). Bono as an activist,
hopes to use his music to share his feelings and emotion toward political views in hopes that his
listeners will work to make a change with him.

U2’s most recent album, “Songs of Experience” reflects the political and personal
annihilation that bono felt had happened in his life. In “Pop; When the World Falls Apart,”
Weisbard said, “no book on music in troubled times could avoid the theme of anger…”
(Weisbard, 5). Men are told that they can’t be angry and that their anger is menacing. In the
song, “Get Out of Your Own Way,” Bono expresses his frustration towards Trumps politics.
Moreover, he tried to use some irony to reflect the anger of individuals out on the streets using
the line, “Fight back, don’t take it lying down you’ve got to bite back.” Bono explained in the
Rolling Stone, “when I was 16, I had a lot of anger in me. You need to find a place for it and for
guitars, whether it is with a drum machine - I don’t care.” Bono is stressing the importance of
having a voice and eliminating fear of having a loss in masculinity.

Men are being encouraged to be themselves, but only if their selves are allowable to
others. Men should be encouraged to embrace their vulnerability and admit their feelings rather
than complying with inherited ideas of what it means to be a man. Bono admits that “Songs of
Experience” isn’t for everybody, but for him it felt right. His last two albums, “Songs of
Innocence” and “Songs of Experience” are a combination of personal and political so that you
don’t know which one you are listening to. Overall, embracing your feelings and having the
willingness to share them with an audience is important to engage with listeners and release
internal emotions. The Edge in the Rolling Stone says, “I think every time we make a record, we
learn.” U2’s aspirations are to continue to find desire somewhere to incorporate into their music.

Critical Models:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-edge-on-u2s-experience-tour-
this-is-for-our-committed-fans-628392/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-broken-heart-and-violent-fantasies-of-lady-
gaga-79462/

References:
Ann Powers, “A Spy in the House of Love,” Women & Music, Volume 12, 2008 (PDF)

Belam, M. (2017, December 28). Music has 'gotten very girly', says Bono from U2.
Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/dec/28/music-has-gotten-very-girly-
says-bono-from-u2

Bono: 'Music has gotten very girly'. (2017, December 28).

Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42502453

Eric Weisbard, “Introduction.” Pop When the World Falls Apart: Music in the Shadow of Doubt
(Duke 2012) (PDF)

Jennifer Lena, “Music Genres,” Banding Together: How Communities Create Genres in Popular
Music (Princeton Univ. Press, 2012) (PDF)