SiriusXM today announced a new creative partnership with U2 to launch U2X RADIO, which will include a dedicated SiriusXM channel and exclusive content available only to SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners.
The announcement was made by U2, live from The Joshua Tree Tour stage at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan, with a cut-in from frontman Bono to Howard Stern on his SiriusXM channel “Howard 100,” which saw the tour’s massive 200×40 ft screen light up with a video tribute to radio ahead of a live performance of the band’s hit ‘Elevation’. A simultaneous stream by U2 on Facebook Live allowed fans around the world to hear the news of U2X RADIO as it happened.
U2 has sold more than 170 million records worldwide and has won 22 Grammy awards, more than any other band or group. Their most recent album ‘Songs Of Experience’ (2017) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, setting the recently declared “Artist Of The Decade” (Pollstar Magazine) apart as the only band in history to have topped the chart in four successive decades, including eight albums that reached number one in the U.S.
U2X RADIO will launch in 2020 with the band themselves taking to the airwaves and will feature music from U2’s acclaimed decades-long career; never before heard interviews and live concert recordings; favorites and surprises from the archive; band curated playlists sharing personal influences both new and old; plus content celebrating their Dublin roots and much, much more.
Bono said – “Generally when I open my mouth people prefer if I’m singing, but on U2X RADIO, maybe they’ll forgive me the odd interruption…”
Adam Clayton said – “I’m not entirely sure what this is but what it isn’t is an opportunity to hear some bass solos… U2 24/7. Welcome to the last 43 years of my life.”
Larry Mullen said – “It all sounds exhausting to me but if people really want to listen to us for 24 hours a day, this is the way to do it.”
The Edge added – “So I get to sit around having a laugh with my musician friends and playing our favorite music. As I always say, I have the best job in the world!”
“U2 has unparalleled influence as musicians, social activists and global cultural icons. The band’s ability to evolve has enabled it to create a large and diverse library of hit songs, as well as four-plus decades’ worth of renowned live performances. U2X RADIO and the offering on Pandora will provide listeners new access and insights into one of the world’s most accomplished bands. We could not be more excited to welcome Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry to the SiriusXM family,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM.
U2 joins LeBron James’ UNINTERRUPTED, platinum recording artist Drake and comic book giant Marvel Entertainment in coming to SiriusXM and Pandora for exclusive content and access. They also join other iconic and leading artists who are featured on their own dedicated SiriusXM channels, such as Phish, Garth Brooks, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
From the beginning, U2 were marked out by their drive and ambition, forming as a band “… before they could play”. Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton met at Mount Temple School and formed U2 in 1978 before signing to Island Records. Acknowledged as one of the best live acts in the world, U2 have released 14 studio albums and have sales in excess of 157 million. They have won numerous awards; including 22 Grammys, an Oscar nomination and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience. In 2003 they won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, ‘The Hands That Built America’, featured in Gangs of New York. 2014 saw U2 nominated for an Oscar for ‘Ordinary Love’ from the feature film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, as well as take home the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
U2’s fourteenth studio album Songs Of Experience – the companion release to 2014’s Songs Of Innocence – was released in December 2017 and includes tracks ‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’ and ‘You’re The Best Thing About Me’. The new album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, setting U2 apart as the only band in history to have topped the chart in four successive decades. In 2018, the band hit the road with the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour, an arena production which saw U2 continue to push the creative boundaries of technology and engineering.
And following 2017’s acclaimed stadium run with The Joshua Tree Tour – the record-breaking smash hit tour celebrating the band’s seminal 1987 album The Joshua Tree – 2019 sees The Joshua Tree Tour visit New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, as well as bring “the biggest band in the world” (The Guardian) to Singapore, Seoul, Manila and Mumbai for the very first time.
A new track titled ‘Ahimsa’ from U2 and legendary composer A.R. Rahman was released ahead of the band’s first ever visit to India, topping the iTunes charts in India and hitting #1 in the iTunes Rock chart in the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, India, Mexico, Holland, Australia, Argentina, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, Finland, Malaysia, New Zealand and Ireland.
About SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the world’s largest audio entertainment company, and the premier programmer and platform for subscription- and advertising-supported audio products. With the recent addition of Pandora, the largest streaming music provider in the U.S., SiriusXM reaches more than 100 million people with its audio products. For more about the new SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.
