I totally agree that without the pressures of mega-commercial success and hit singles and mega-tours, they would have complete creative freedom, and that would be unbelievably exciting, as a U2 fan. I would go so far as to say, bring it. Fuck all of this. Totally happy with 360 being the end of all that.
But I don’t think it would happen. I think that all signs at the moment point to a suggestion that once U2 aren’t what U2 are now, U2 will cease to exist.
What is their inspiration or motivation these days?
Bono often says that he or they often consider something along the lines of “Does the world need another U2 album?” I would think that question means “Do U2 still have something to add to the ebb and flow of the musical conversation?” Do they still have something new and challenging in them creatively or artistically. Do they still have something new or worthwhile to say. If you’re being totally honest, you’d have to say that they haven’t really been a part of that conversation for a long time. U2 albums make only commercial waves, not creative waves. You may have an opinion on whether that is fair or not, but it is what it is, and it is not an assessment of creative quality to say that U2 are not a creative force, and haven’t been for some time.
But if U2 themselves are aware of this (surely), I don’t know to what degree they really care. The “Does the world need another U2 album?” seems to them to not be a question they ask themselves, but a challenge from ‘the world’. The world thinks they don’t need another U2 album. We’ll show them! We’ll make the BIGGEST U2 album, and we’ll go on the BIGGEST ever tour! It all seems to be very competitive for them. What they want to prove seems to be all related to their age, and their ability to still be a huge commercial/cultural force. Commercial and cultural relevancy, but not creative relevancy. In promoting their last couple of albums, someone would ask them a question about inspiration, and the answer would more often than not involve a name-checking of half a dozen very successful bands half their age and an attitude of We want to show these kids who’s boss.
In terms of answering that question - that seems to be about it. Obviously when it comes to individual tracks, creative themes etc, there’s still a lot going on there, but when it comes to the larger question of U2’s ongoing existence, their inspiration and relevancy, it’s not a creative adventure, it’s a competitive sport.
So I just think that while there might be a small chance that a sudden loss of mega-commercial-mega-tour-mega-U2 for whatever reason, might re-awaken something, that the discovery of freedom might be truly inspirational, but I just think at the moment, it seems that they only equate their relevancy with their size. So if they’re not BIG, they’re irrelevant. And if they consider themselves to be irrelevant, then the answer to “Does the world need another U2 album?” will almost certainly, unfortunately, be: NO.