You're the Best Thing About Me - Song Discussion Thread #2

[Bubble]

From the best thing about me is Ali to the best thing about america is immigration...


Might as well have released "American soul" instead if they wanted to make a point about the current political climate in the U.S.

 

[JoRu]

Same director (Jonas Åkerlund) as for Beautiful Day and Walk On. I liked it, even if I think they could've cut down on the quick...cuts. Some of the shots, like them going around shaking hands with people and stuff, didn't feel like they were good enough to go in a final product. By holding some of the better shots longer you wouldn't have to keep them.

Though I'm glad they didn't do a one-shot thing walking down some NY street, it feels like that's been overdone in particular by bands like Coldplay.

 

[rathergoblind]

The filming style, camera cuts, pacing, location make it feel like it could be an intro for early 2000s episodes of Saturday Night Live.

Spot on. With them in the car, It also reminds of the Entourage intro...

 

[rennowba]

As an American I have to ask, what do people outside of the US think of these kinds of videos?

Think everyone outside America understands the bands obsession with the country, I do anyway. So I just go along with it

America is an amazing country but the whole Trump scenario is creating a real bad situation there. Feels like the politics are going backwards there . Think that's what everyone outside of America thinks anyway

 

[PRB216]

Rolling Stone has a little more information on the video's theme:

While "You're the Best Thing About Me" is a love letter to Bono's wife Ali, the video serves as "a visual tapestry of tribute to New York and a serenade to the city’s iconic symbols of American compassion and liberty," the band said.

Watch U2 Sightsee Around New York City in New Video - Rolling Stone

 

[womanfish]

So the best thing about them is America, or their fans, or their American fans. Not 100% sure; thought it would be America because of all the landmark shots, but all the autographs makes me think it's their fans. TBH it's a little weird.

It's a well shot music video, but to get traction today music videos have to have some kind of ridiculous visual hook that can be giffed and makes them go viral. Don't see that here. It'll play well in Hardrocks though.

Just cutting and pasting this from my prior post.

they are using the lyrics in the song as a metaphor in this video to take a swipe at Trump and rise of nationalism, anti-immigrant sentiment.
Liberty, freedom, openness, opportunity and justice being the best thing about America, and the current climate we find ourselves in, is the walking away part.

 

[Irvine511]

Feels like the politics are going backwards there . Think that's what everyone outside of America thinks anyway

along with most of us inside it as well.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

So a song about Ali is now a love song to NY/America/self-idolising video ?

Hi, person who missed the point

 

[patternshirt170]

As an American I have to ask, what do people outside of the US think of these kinds of videos?

Scottish person in NJ here. If they generally do not like this band for a myriad of reasons then you can guess the reaction. I'd bookmark The Guardian's music page for the next week. Additionally there will be those dramatic souls (still trying to remove the aural horror that is SOI from their poor abused iphones) who will just use it as another stick to beat the band with and of course others who will misconstrue the imagery as a kind of pro USA jingoism and type a million 'oh god, here we go again...' comments...

Sometimes acts re-film their video ('Stuck' for example) for other markets for a number of reasons, like when little Eddy Van Sheeran took his dark and moody video about a drug addicted homeless girl and remade it for the USA as a fun, smiley and goofy barge, canal trip...

 

[Y2K]

Cue the snarky articles..... now!

U2's New Music Video Is Exquisitely Corny NYC Tourism Propaganda: Gothamist

This music video has everything you could want from a U2 video: Bono taking selfies with strangers, lots of juxtapositions of the American flag and the Statue Of Liberty, Adam Clayton looking profoundly bored and/or eating pizza, American flag umbrellas, Bono kissing himself in the mirror, the band mimicking a performance in front of the Tribute In Lights, even more American flags, the realization that the group shot over 80% of this video in Midtown (basically everything except the Tribute In Lights stuff), Bono giving the middle finger to Times Square, a woman reciting Emma Lazarus' poem, and the sinking feeling that this is the best any of us can expect from a new U2 single in 2017 (but hey, that bridge from The Edge is pretty good!).
It's just like that old late-period U2 song goes: it's a beautiful day, don't let B-roll footage of the Statue of Liberty get away.

 

[U2girl]

Hi, person who missed the point

Hi, yes, you did.

It's a song about Ali. If they want to adress US politics, they have, y'know....Blackout for that.

 

[Hollow Island]

As an American I have to ask, what do people outside of the US think of these kinds of videos?

It's weird and kind of pathetic, with a dose of cynical pandering. If they want to celebrate a country there are many that deserve it over the US. In fact, I think that the US deserves more criticism than praise, and not just because of Trump. He's a symptom, not the disease.

 

[womanfish]

speaking of just the song again.

I just got up the nerve to listen to the acoustic performance of it. Totally inappropriate for an encore of a live show. But it got me thinking. They had said that they changed the song at the last minute from a ballad to more of a rock tune.
I'm thinking that maybe this acoustic version may have been how the original was structured.

 

[Y2K]

speaking of just the song again.

I just got up the nerve to listen to the acoustic performance of it. Totally inappropriate for an encore of a live show. But it got me thinking. They had said that they changed the song at the last minute from a ballad to more of a rock tune.
I'm thinking that maybe this acoustic version may have been how the original was structured.

I believe the Sci-fi Soul Mix is how it was originally going to be released.

 

[Sken]

Spot on. With them in the car, It also reminds of the Entourage intro...

Entourage was my first thought as well, Bono's briefly been on the show, so there may be some influence there.

Would have been amazing if at some point in the video the Entourage boys pulled up next to them, and seeing Drama going apeshit.

 

[lazarus]

Cue the snarky articles..... now!

U2's New Music Video Is Exquisitely Corny NYC Tourism Propaganda: Gothamist

Not saying I agree with the whole article but:

the sinking feeling that this is the best any of us can expect from a new U2 single in 2017

This is pretty damning and why they should have released something else as the lead single.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Not saying I agree with the whole article but:

the sinking feeling that this is the best any of us can expect from a new U2 single in 2017

This is pretty damning and why they should have released something else as the lead single.

Would it really matter uf they released something that else? Not saying they shouldn't have... I've thought all alone they should have gone with Little Things first... but even a masterpiece from U2 would be met with a giant "meh" from most.

 

[prbiker15]

but even a masterpiece from U2 would be met with a giant "meh" from most.

Agreed.

 

[Sken]

It seems the band has been humbled by the last album release.

The marketing has been pretty good this time around.

-Little Things revealed to concert goers.
-Blackout to Facebook
-Best Thing lyric video, Kygo collaboration, and fun band video

Nothing feels forced or shoved in your face, its a more organic release strategy. Joshua Tree Tour has helped with image.

Here's hoping the single before the album drop is the best song from the album, and a kickass tune.

 

[marshall faulk]

Would it really matter uf they released something that else? Not saying they shouldn't have... I've thought all alone they should have gone with Little Things first... but even a masterpiece from U2 would be met with a giant "meh" from most.

Based on the live version Little Things is too good of a song to succeed on the radio.

Best Thing is just bad enough to have a chance to succeed on radio.

But wholeheartedly agree - no U2 single is going to storm the charts anymore. "Meh" is the best they can hope for.

 

[RoKKeR]

Comment from my uncle, who is a casual fan:

First time I'd heard the song... first video I've seen in years.... Loved it... even if they faked it... embracing their fans, strangers, fame and Americana all at once.... they look like people who recognize they won the lottery and who appreciate it

Hard time disagreeing. Just watched the video and I really enjoyed it. Fun, lighthearted, fits the sound/tone of the song... good stuff.

 

[LadySpinHead]

I like the video. Lighthearted and goofy with deeper undertones. Just how I like my U2.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I like the video. Lighthearted and goofy with deeper undertones. Just how I like my U2.

I just need one heart breaking and depressing song about love lost and I'll be...happy.

 

[Haywa1979]

Would it really matter uf they released something that else? Not saying they shouldn't have... I've thought all alone they should have gone with Little Things first... but even a masterpiece from U2 would be met with a giant "meh" from most.

Surprisingly, I'm seeing quite a bit of interest in U2 and TBT from people who normally don't care about them or their new songs, or who haven't cared in a decade or more. Signs are pointing to TBT doing pretty well among the intended audience. The audience for the song keeps growing at a decent pace. Not sure why some supposed fans seem to be purposely trying to undersell the band. The cynicism is old and tired. And boring.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Surprisingly, I'm seeing quite a bit of interest in U2 and TBT from people who normally don't care about them or their new songs, or who haven't cared in a decade or more. Signs are pointing to TBT doing pretty well among the intended audience. The audience for the song keeps growing at a decent pace. Not sure why some supposed fans seem to be purposely trying to undersell the band. The cynicism is old and tired. And boring.

Lol "so called fans" eh?

 

[grietim]

Good video. The band had fun and seemed natural and not forced. I like a deep video as much as the next person but this works for this song in my opinion.

 

[purpleblackeye]

The surest and easiest way to chart success is if President Tweeterlydumb somehow takes note of U2 and Bono's criticism of him and attacks the band as un-American. The usual BS from the faux patriot and divider in chief.

 

[CosmoKramer]

So I'm about 15 pages late but I finally got around to listening to Thunder by Imagine Dragons.

Well that song is terrible and the video is horrid! How this is nearly a top 40 hit in the US is beyond me. TBT is infinitely better than this song as is the video.

I also noticed that Thunder is in a Microsoft Surface commercial, so perhaps that had assisted it rise.

I wonder if U2 have any planes to like TBT to a marketing campaign of sorts? I mean the song is perfect for advertising but I just hope IF they go that route it's something related to music and not like vitamin water (FFS that song on that commercial with the Breaking Bad kid is catchy but so cheapened cause it's...you know Vitamin Water).

I hope this topic kicks off at least 2 pages of commercial puns for TBT!!

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

Sorry, lazy video. In such tuff times for rock bands to stay relevant maybe they should have tried to do something more remarkable. More elaborate or creative. The images dont add anything to the song, we dont get more excited seeing the video. The Beautiful Day video is a perfect example to blend images with sound, and its done so elegantly.
Sorry, wasted oportunity here.

 

[Irvine511]

I think the video is pleasant and cheesy, and fine. I enjoy the song.

This also looks to me like an idea that was thrown together in about a week after, either, 1) one of any dozen horrid Trump things on any given week, 2) the Amsterdam version turned out to be lame, or, 3) probably a little bit of both.

It's clear that immigration is the subtext (immigrants are the best thing about the US, as has been true for all of its history), and it's clear that they're trying to be serious by being light. So, that's all fine. I also like that I've been to that bar a bunch of times. That's fun.

I almost wish I had stronger feelings one way or the next. The people who hate it get a big eye roll from me, but it's hard to take all this too seriously. It feels like a between albums single.

Except for that Edge bridge. That is really nice.