I would like to think it's an effort to build up hype for the new single. I think the only way for them to achieve the wanted relevance is to go back to the old way.
Have a good new song, the kind of song people will relate to and crave for more. I used to love that hype about U2 when they released new music, like when i heard Stay on the radio for the first time, or the Beautiful Day days. I think there is a reverse effect when the exposure is too big and the song doesnt live up to that. I love Miracle, but wasnt a radio friendly song. So the Apple thing backfired. Maybe if it was another kind of song it could have worked. In the end you have to have a good new single. For U2 i trust the old way, the first single, the first taste will get people hooked if its worked with elegance like a Beatiful Day, it announced a new U2 era, the video was tasteful, the played Tv shows. The rest came naturally. I dont think U2 now is that much less relevant it was in 1999. Release a good song, a fine video, play on tv shows but not a week straight, get airplay, maybe an important event like Olympics. Nothing exagerated or forced.
They have to keep that U2 flair, forget about supermarkets(Holy Joe anyone), about Itunes or a song about boots.
I like the idea of a DJ playing a new U2 single in the form of a remix, the song sounds very promising, they created a buzz, trust the song strengh e keep going. Maybe a big video realese and thats all they need to have a hit. Don't go and try to win Beyonce or Adele in their own game, these are multimedia artists, U2 are a music artist. Stick to that. Well, thats my 2 cents.
So this is a detail.
