The 21st century indie song Bono accused of changing the world
Bono isn’t afraid of telling the world exactly how he feels, and yet, while this outlook might often be associated with a no-nonsense attitude, it can quite often veer into nonsense.
There have been times when you think that the U2 frontman might be on to something, and then, within the blink of an eye, he’s followed up a poignant statement with something that counteracts all of the positivity he’s built up towards by blurting out something absurd.
Overwrought analogies and comments on things that eventually transform into word salad aren’t the best way of conducting yourself in an interview, and can often give off a bad impression, especially when you’re trying your hardest to convey a point with some weight to it. There are plenty of occasions where this can be down to nervousness, and in an effort to get the wording precisely right, things come out jumbled up, but there are also times when it’s totally avoidable.
When talking about his favourite musicians of all time, he has a tendency to overthink and make things needlessly poetic or full of imagery, and whether this is just because Bono loves the sound of his own voice or if it comes from a place of genuine passion is often hard to tell. What is clear, however, is that he knows exactly what it is that has kept his enthusiasm going for so long, and who U2 have to thank as major sources of inspiration for their continued existence as a band.
As time has moved on, so have styles, and with that, the band have had an ongoing desire to keep evolving. What’s always been evident, whether their albums have resonated with long-term fans or not, is that they’ve continued to search for ways to make their music as ‘big’ as possible. We’re talking about the sort of music that will naturally fill a stadium and feel euphoric here, and love them or hate them, there’s no denying that U2 have always been successful in creating music that succeeds on this front.
When speaking to Rolling Stone about his favourite Bob Dylan song, he claimed that ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ is perhaps one of the most influential songs he’s ever heard, but afterwards, he then went on to comment on how several other songs have had a similar effect, making a nod to a more contemporary act who bear some resemblance with U2.
After listing Arcade Fire’s ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, taken from their earth-shattering debut Funeral, as one of these songs that instantly impacted him, Bono was quoted as saying: “I love to hear a song that changes everything. That’s the reason I’m in a band.”
The instant and unprecedented success of the album was largely down to how the Canadian group have always strived to make music that feels impactful from the first listen, and like U2, there’s no such thing as slowly coming around to their music – you’re either absorbed by it, or it isn’t for you.
It’s refreshing to know that Bono hasn’t remained stuck in his ways as U2 have continued to exist, and if there are any acts who have certainly lived by the same ethos of making their music sound as gigantic as the Irish rock group while continually trying to evolve, Arcade Fire are certainly one of them.
