Editing U2 (section)

===''The Joshua Tree'' anniversary tours and ''Songs of Experience'' (2016–2019)===
In 2016, U2 worked on their next studio album, ''[[Songs of Experience (U2 album)|Songs of Experience]]'', a [[companion piece]] to ''Songs of Innocence''.<ref name="mojo-apr17">{{cite magazine|title=American Dreams|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=April 2017|issue=281|pages=72–86}}</ref> The group had mostly completed the album and planned to release it that year, but after the shift of global politics in a [[conservatism|conservative]] direction, highlighted by the UK's [[Brexit]] [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum]] and the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 US presidential election]], they put the record on hold to reassess its tone.<ref>{{cite episode|url=http://www.edge.ca/2017/09/06/u2-speaks-with-the-edge-about-new-single-youre-the-best-thing-about-me/|title=U2 speaks with The Edge about new single, 'You're The Best Thing About Me'|series=Carly Meyers|network=[[CFNY-FM]]|date=6 September 2017|type=Radio broadcast|author=[[The Edge]] (interviewee)|access-date=6 September 2017}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The group spent the extra time rewriting lyrics, [[Arrangement|rearranging]] and remixing songs, and pursuing different production styles.<ref name="mojo-apr17"/><ref name="edge-rs-mortality">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-edge-on-u2s-songs-of-experience-bonos-brush-with-mortality-253290/|title=The Edge on U2's 'Songs of Experience,' Bono's 'Brush With Mortality'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=18 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> Further impacting the lyrical direction of the album was a "brush with mortality" that Bono experienced;<ref name="edge-rs-mortality"/><ref name="bono-rs-soe-evolve">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bono-on-how-u2s-songs-of-experience-evolved-taking-on-donald-trump-253312/|title=Bono on How U2's 'Songs of Experience' Evolved, Taking on Donald Trump|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=20 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> in December 2016, he underwent [[open-heart surgery]] due to an [[aortic aneurysm]] that formed over time as a result of having a [[bicuspid aortic valve]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/u2-frontman-bono-reveals-he-had-heart-surgery-in-2016-in-new-memoir-surrender-3342136|title=Bono had heart surgery in 2016 to repair 'blister' on his aorta|website=[[NME]]|first=Tom|last=Skinner|date=3 November 2022|access-date=16 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Bono |date=2022 |title=Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story |chapter=Lights of Home |publisher=Knopf |isbn=978-0593663691}}</ref>

[[File:U2 on tree stage on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Kansas City 9-12-17.jpg|thumb|[[The Joshua Tree Tour 2017]] commemorated the 30th anniversary of the eponymous record. It was the highest-grossing tour of the year, earning {{USD|316&nbsp;million}}.]]
U2 [[The Joshua Tree Tour 2017|toured in 2017]] to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''The Joshua Tree'', with each show featuring a performance of the entire album.<ref name="edge-breakdown">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-edge-breaks-down-u2s-upcoming-joshua-tree-tour-111050/|title=The Edge Breaks Down U2's Upcoming 'Joshua Tree' Tour|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=9 January 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> It was the first time the group toured in promotion of an album from their back catalogue.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/u2-to-outline-tour-dates-for-the-joshua-tree-on-monday-1.2929263|title=U2 to outline tour dates for The Joshua Tree on Monday|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Brian|last=Boyd|date=8 January 2017|access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref> The Edge cited the same world events that caused the group to delay ''Songs of Experience'' for what he judged to be renewed resonance of ''The Joshua Tree''{{'}}s subject matter and a reason to revisit it.<ref name="edge-breakdown"/> The tour's stage featured a [[8K resolution|7.6K]] video screen measuring {{convert|200|x|45|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ohio.com/akron/entertainment/pop-music/u2-brings-massive-joshua-tree-tour-to-cleveland-s-firstenergy-stadium|title=U2 brings massive Joshua Tree Tour to Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium|website=[[Akron Beacon Journal|Ohio.com]]|first=Malcolm X|last=Abram|date=28 June 2017|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701000332/http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/pop-music/u2-brings-massive-joshua-tree-tour-to-cleveland-s-firstenergy-stadium-1.777300|archive-date=1 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> that was, according to ''[[The Guardian]]'', the largest and highest resolution screen used on a concert tour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2017/may/15/u2-joshua-tree-tour-anton-corbijn-america-trump|title=U2's Joshua Tree tour: stuck in the past, or a new sense of purpose?|website=[[The Guardian]]|first=Barry|last=Nicolson|date=15 May 2017|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> The tour included a headlining appearance at the [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]] in June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/spin/article/20864286/u2-turns-great-stage-park-into-joshua-tree-friday-night-at-bonnaroo|title=U2 Turns Great Stage Park Into Joshua Tree Friday Night at Bonnaroo|website=[[Nashville Scene]]|author=The Spin|date=10 June 2017|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref> The tour grossed more than {{USD|316&nbsp;million}} from over 2.7&nbsp;million tickets sold,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8022273/u2-the-joshua-tree-2017-tour-earnings|title=U2's Joshua Tree 2017 Tour Wraps With $316 Million Earned|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Bob|last=Allen|date=1 November 2017|access-date=14 December 2017}}</ref> making it the highest-grossing tour of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/u2-tops-pollstars-year-end-touring-chart-with-316-million-gross-veteran-male-acts-dominate-top-20-1202649383/|title=U2 Tops Pollstar's Year-End Touring Chart With $316 Million Gross, Veteran Male Acts Dominate Top 20|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Jem|last=Aswad|date=28 December 2017|access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref>

''Songs of Experience'' was released on 1 December 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/arts/music/u2-songs-of-experience-interview.html|title=U2 Offer 'Songs of Experience' to a World That's on Fire|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jon|last=Pareles|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=10 September 2017|at=sec. AR, p. 109|edition=New York|access-date=6 September 2017}}</ref> Lyrically, the album reflects the "political and personal apocalypse" that Bono felt in 2016.<ref name="q-hardwon">{{cite magazine|title=Hard-Won Experience|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|first=Tom|last=Doyle|date=December 2017|pages=10–13|issue=379}}</ref> The first single, "[[You're the Best Thing About Me]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-u2s-lustrous-new-single-youre-the-best-thing-about-me-204832/|title=Hear U2's Lustrous New Single 'You're the Best Thing About Me'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Elias|last=Leight|date=6 September 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> is one of several songs from the record for which Bono wrote the lyrics as letters addressed to people and places closest to his heart.<ref name="edge-rs-mortality"/><ref name="bono-rs-soe-evolve"/> ''Songs of Experience'' received mixed reviews from critics;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/4669220/u2-songs-of-innocence-mediocre-reviews-high-sales/|title=U2's 'Songs of Experience' Receives Mediocre Reviews, But Concert Ticket Album Bundle Disguises Poor Sales|work=[[The Inquisitr]]|first=Daryl|last=Deino|date=7 December 2017|access-date=8 December 2017|archive-date=8 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208041332/https://www.inquisitr.com/4669220/u2-songs-of-innocence-mediocre-reviews-high-sales/|url-status=live}}</ref> it was the sixth-best-selling album globally in 2017 with 1.3&nbsp;million copies sold.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/04/24/these-were-the-10-bestselling-albums-in-the-world-in-2017/#921e944608d2|title=These Were The 10 Bestselling Albums In The World In 2017|work=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]|first=Hugh|last=McIntyre|date=24 April 2018|access-date=24 April 2018|archive-date=24 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424191855/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/04/24/these-were-the-10-bestselling-albums-in-the-world-in-2017/#921e944608d2|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:U2 performing on Experience and Innocence Tour in London 10-24-18 (3).jpg|thumb|left|U2 performing in London in October 2018 during the [[Experience + Innocence Tour]], a sequel to their 2015 tour]]
In May 2018, the band embarked on the Experience + Innocence Tour, which consisted of arena shows across North America and Europe.<ref name="ei-bb-wrapup">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8486083/u2-experience-innocence-tour-wrap|title=U2 Wraps Experience + Innocence Tour With $125 Million Earned|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Eric|last=Frankenberg|date=20 November 2018|access-date=21 November 2018}}</ref> 
It was a sequel to their 2015 Innocence + Experience Tour, reprising its loose narrative and using a similar stage set. Several enhancements were made, such as a higher resolution and more transparent video screen and the addition of LED panels to the B-stage floor.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://plsn.com/articles/video-production/u2s-2018-experience-innocence-tour/|title=U2's 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour|magazine=Projection Lights and Staging News|first=Nook|last=Schoenfeld|date=July 2018|volume=19|issue=6|pages=54–56|access-date=29 August 2018}}</ref> The band incorporated [[augmented reality]] into the shows, releasing a mobile app for concertgoers to use and reviving Bono's demonic stage character MacPhisto from the 1993 Zoo TV Tour with the help of a camera [[Filter (social media)|filter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/09/es-devlin-augmented-reality-avatar-bono-u2-set-design/|title=Giant augmented reality avatar of Bono appears on Es Devlin's U2 stage set|website=[[Dezeen]]|first=Natashah|last=Hitti|date=9 May 2018|access-date=31 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avinteractive.com/features/case-studies/storytelling-tech-07-12-2018/|title=Storytelling tech|website=[[Metropolis International|AV Magazine]]|first=Zoe|last=Mutter|date=7 December 2018|access-date=27 September 2023|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221060039/https://www.avinteractive.com/features/case-studies/storytelling-tech-07-12-2018/|archive-date=21 February 2020}}</ref> The tour concluded in Berlin in November with total revenues of {{USD|126.2 million}} from 924,000 tickets sold, according to ''Billboard''.<ref name="ei-bb-wrapup"/>

U2's ''Joshua Tree'' anniversary concert tour [[The Joshua Tree Tour 2019|visited Oceania and Asia in 2019]], their first time playing Australia and New Zealand since the 360° Tour in 2010,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8514077/u2-sets-joshua-tree-tour-australia-nz-asia|title=U2 Sets 'Joshua Tree' Tour of Australia, NZ and Asia|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Lars|last=Brandle|date=3 June 2019|access-date=5 June 2019}}</ref> and their first time performing in South Korea, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radio.com/music/classic-rock/u2-to-finish-2019-joshua-treetour-with-first-trip-to-india|title=U2 to Finish 2019 'The Joshua Tree' Tour With First Trip to India|website=[[Radio.com]]|first=Bob|last=Diehl|date=18 September 2019|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref> The band released the single "Ahimsa" with Indian musician [[A.R. Rahman]] to promote their December concert in India.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/exclusive-a-r-rahman-and-u2-collaborate-on-new-single-ahimsa/ |title=Exclusive: A.R. Rahman and U2 Collaborate on New Single 'Ahimsa'|last=Chakraborty |first=Riddhi |date=22 November 2019 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] India |access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref> The group's 2019 shows grossed {{USD|73.8&nbsp;million}} and sold 567,000 tickets, bringing the cumulative totals for their ''Joshua Tree'' anniversary tours to {{USD|390.8&nbsp;million}} grossed and 3.3&nbsp;million tickets sold.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8548371/u2-joshua-tree-anniversary-show-earnings|title=U2 Earn $73 Million From Just 15 'Joshua Tree' Anniversary Shows in 2019|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Eric|last=Frankenberg|date=17 January 2020|access-date=18 January 2020}}</ref>