U2’s Bono: ‘I Think Music Has Gotten Very Girly’

Bono, frontman of Irish rock band U2, just revealed what he thinks of the music scene nowadays.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that much of his new musical discoveries come from his children, who listen mostly to hip-hop and rock.

Eli, his son, told him that he thinks a rock revolution is underway. Asked if he agreed with that, Bono explained:

"I think music has gotten very girly. And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment — and that's not good."

The 57-year-old rock star, who graces the cover of the magazine's latest issue, believes the rock revolution he and Eli are talking about is bound to happen any day now due to the lack of angst in today's music.

Bono recalled his teenage days, back when he had immense amounts of anger, arguing that rage is at the heart of rock and roll, and he's seeing less and less of it these days. He also said that music can be best expressed when such emotions — rage and anger — are a big part of it.

"Some great rock & roll tends to have that, which is why the Who were such a great band. Or Pearl Jam. Eddie has that rage."

Bono also touched on some other various topics, including the refugee situation in Europe, the plight of streaming services, American politics, and quite a bit about Songs of Experience, the band's latest album.

Asked what it was like to write songs for the album while dealing with health issues, Bono touched on the role morality played in the band's creative process.

"Well, strangely enough, mortality was going to be a subject anyway just because it is a subject not often covered," he said. "And you can't write Songs of Experience without writing about that."

In writing songs and making music for the album, Bono said he wanted to split himself in half and examine his current self and his younger self.

"What I wanted to do on this album is to occasionally have a dialectical conversation where younger me assails the older me," he said. "It is the innocent you speaking to the experienced you and saying it is OK. I have come to some peace with that younger zealot that I used to be.

Songs of Experience is available now. Read the full interview on Rolling Stone.

Tags

U2, Bono