From 1983’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” to 1984’s “Pride (In the Name of Love),” 1987’s “Mothers of the Disappeared” and “2000’s “Walk On,” U2 have always stepped boldly up to share their views on the state of the planet. And, in a world that often feels like it’s gone mad lately, the veteran band have done it again with Wednesday’s (Feb. 18) release of the urgent, literally ripped-from-the-headlines surprise EP Days of Ash.

The emotional, classically stirring U2 collection of five songs and a poem is described as “an immediate response to current events inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.”

In a statement, frontman Bono wrote, “The songs on Days of Ash are very different in mood and theme to the ones we’re going to put on our album later in the year. These EP tracks couldn’t wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world. They are songs of defiance and dismay, of lamentation. Songs of celebration will follow, we’re working on those now… because for all the awfulness we see normalized daily on our small screens, there’s nothing normal about these mad and maddening times and we need to stand up to them before we can go back to having faith in the future.”

The collection kicks of with the pealing sounds of The Edge’s signature guitar chiming on “American Obituary,” an homage to Renée Macklin Good, the 37-year-old mother of three and American citizen killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January. “Renée Good born to die free/ American mother of three/ Seven day January/ A bullet for each child, you see,” Bono sings urgently over a track that sounds like it could have appeared on a classic early aughts album such as 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

The song’s final verse is like a zen koan (spiced with a tribute to Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power”) in which Bono repeats, “The power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power.”

The band is joined by Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian solider-turned-musician Tara Topolia on the uplifting “Yours Eternally,” inspired by Bono and Edge’s trip to Kyiv in the spring of 2022 to busk in a train station at the invitation of besieged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where they first met and befriended Topolia. The song is written in the form of a letter written from a active-duty soldier on the frontlines of war.

“As your so-called companion/ The worst jokes and the greatest times/ You got me high/ And the stars got me home/ Your faith in me was blinding,” Sheeran sings over the crackling drums and a swelling gang chorus of vocals on the refrain: “Don’t sleep/ Don’t even think about it/ No need/ Maybe a little bit.”

The acoustic ballad “The Tears of Things” imagines a conversation between Michelangelo’s David statue and his creator, in which the young man with his sling full of stones pushes back against the notion that he has to “become Goliath to defeat him.” It is followed by the driving “Song of the Future,” which pays tribute to 16-year-old Sarina Esmailzadeh, one of the thousands of Iranian schoolgirls who joined the nationwide 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement, driven to speak out after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, who died in Tehran in 2022 of injuries suffered following her arrest by the “morality police.”

“If you put a man into a cage and rattle it enough/ A man becomes the kind of rage that cannot be locked up,” Bono sings on the track.

Also included is “Wildpeace,” a poem by Israeli author and poet Yehuda Amichai, read by Nigerian artist Adeola of Les Amazones d’Afrique over an squelchy arrangement written by U2 with producer Jacknife Lee (Weezer, Taylor Swift). The collection also features “One Life at a Time” a moody track written in honor of Palestinian father of three Awdah Hathaleen. The non-violent activist and teacher was killed in his village in the West Bank by an Israeli settler in July 2025 in the midst of the ruinous Israeli-Gaza war sparked by militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The songs all have their own vivid lyric videos and a short documentary film to accompany “Yours Eternally” is slated for release on Feb. 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In addition to the EP, the band rebooted their official Propaganda ‘zine, dropping a 40th anniversary edition titled “U2 Days of Ash: Six Postcards From the Present… Wish We Weren’t There.” In a pointed allusion to the still-roiling controversy about the Jeffrey Epstein files chronicling the convicted child sex offender’s decades-long friendship with Donald Trump and other powerful and important world figures, the magazine’s table of contents, like the Epstein files, is heavily redacted.

Singer Bono weighs in on the people who inspired the songs on the EP, their first set of new songs since 2017’s Songs of Experienece, noting that they are very different in theme than the 25 or so in consideration for the group’s next proper album, or albums. He wrote that the in-process LP tracks are “more songs of celebration than lamentation,” tagging EP’s mood as “reactions to present day anxieties.”

It also features contributions from guitarist The Edge, who writes in an essay that, “we believe in a world where borders are not erased by force. Where culture, language and memory are not silenced by fear. Where the dignity of people is not negotiable.”

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. addresses the injury that kept him sidelined from U2’s gigs opening Las Vegas’ Sphere in 2023, saying “it wasn’t easy” missing out on the gigs, as well as the changes he made to his kit, and approach, in the wake of the injury and time off. “Who needs to hear a new record from us?” he asks in answer to a question about the proper LP due out after the surprise EP. “It just depends on whether we’re making music we feel deserves to be heard. I believe the new songs stand up to our best work.”

Bassist Adam Clayton shared some books he’s been reading, what he’s been listening to (Geese, Fela Kuti, the Waterboys’ Mike Scott), lessons he’s learned about “tolerance, freedom and not to jump to judgement,” as well as the flower he’s looking forward to in the spring (daffodils, the Magnolia campbelli). The 52-page ‘zine — which will have a limited-edition print run — also features the lyrics to the EPs songs, links to articles about ICE’s militant immigration tactics against U.S. citizens and legal residents, a chat with the Ukrainians behind the documentary short the band filmed for “Yours Eternally” and the EPs full credits.

The band said contributions in support of human rights and freedom will be made to Amnesty International, The Committee to Protect Journalists and the UN Refugee Agency.

Listen to Days of Ash below.

No doubt about it, Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might” tops Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, giving its genre-spanning architect his 14th leader on the radio airplay ranking. The single jumps from No. 3 to crown the list dated Feb. 21 and was the most played song on U.S. panel-contributing rhythmic radio stations in the corresponding tracking week of Feb. 6-12, according to Luminate.

“I Just Might,” released and promoted on Atlantic Records, replaces labelmate Cardi B’s “Errtime” after the latter’s two-week reign. In addition to solo No. 1s, the pair have collaborated on two Rhythmic Airplay champs: “Finesse” ruled for two weeks in February 2018, while “Please Me” led for one week in April 2019.

For its coronation week, “I Just Might” improved 15% in plays for the tracking week compared with its performance the prior week (Jan. 30 – Feb. 5). The high surge reflects its larger trajectory, as it tops the 40-position Rhythmic Airplay chart in five weeks, the fastest of any of Mars’ 14 No. 1s. “Finesse” was the previous personal benchmark, needing six frames.

With a 14th No. 1, Mars breaks from a tie with Lil Wayne and Usher to solely claim fifth place among the artists with the most leaders on Rhythmic Airplay, which launched in October 1992. Drake remains the distant frontrunner, with 43 No. 1s, while Rihanna (17), The Weeknd (16) and Chris Brown (15) are close competition.

As “I Just Might” joins Mars’ chart-topping collection, here’s a review of his Rhythmic Airplay No. 1s:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Bruno Mars), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

The lead single from Mars’ The Romantic, “I Just Might” ensures at least one Rhythmic Airplay champ from all of Mars’ albums: Doo-Wops and Hooligans (“Grenade”), Unorthodox Jukebox (“Locked Out of Heaven”), 24K Magic (the title track, “That’s What I Like, “Finesse”) and the Silk Sonic project An Evening With Silk Sonic (“Leave the Door Open” and “Smokin Out the Window”). The Romantic is scheduled for release on Feb. 27.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo have come a long way, from overcoming infidelity in their relationship to figuring out which boundaries work best for them — all of which the latter delves into in her new memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic.

In excerpts shared by E! News on Tuesday (Feb. 17) — the same day the book was published — Bunnie went into detail about finding out her husband had a 10-month affair and clarified her past comments suggesting she and the country star are in an “open” relationship. Years ago, she suspected that Jelly had started talking to one of his exes — “not a baby mama,” she clarified — behind her back, after which the woman in question confirmed everything in a conversation with Bunnie.

“She told me about how he got a house for them to live in and he wanted her to stay at home and take care of [his daughter] Bailee,” Bunnie wrote. “And out of everything, that’s what made me sick. It wasn’t about him f–king this broad — ­it was about emotionally cheating and then wanting her to play mommy to a little girl I’d fallen in love with.”

Now, Jelly and Bunnie are stronger than ever, sharing custody of Bailee and helping raise the Grammy winner’s son, Noah. They couple is also working to welcome twins via IVF and a surrogate, another thing the Dumb Blonde host opened up about in Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic.

But first, the pair had a lot of healing to do. “I’m not going to pretend that we just went back to normal,” Bunnie wrote. “It would take years for me to put the affair aside. It would take years to actually feel like this man loved me — that I wasn’t disposable.”

The influencer isn’t the only one who’s spoken about the rough patch in her marriage to Jelly, whom she wed in 2016. While guesting on the Human School podcast in October, the singer said that his affair was “one of the worst moments of my adulthood.”

Bunnie has said that she’s also experienced disloyalty in her past relationships. That’s why she initially allowed for more openness in her sex life with Jelly. But despite saying on her podcast years ago that “we allow each other to be who we want to be … If I want to sleep with another guy, I can go sleep with another guy,” the author stressed in her book that they are not in an “open” relationship.

“I thought my openness and willingness to have third parties would save me from all the other cheating I’d experienced in my life,” Bunnie explained. “If a girl wanted to come home with us, we more than likely wouldn’t turn her down.”

“J has always told me that I can sleep with other men if I want to,” she continued. “We both live by the motto that we aren’t each other’s possessions and consider our relationship to be free, not open.”

Even so, Bunnie’s choice to not be strictly monogamous in the bedroom with Jelly didn’t stop him from having his affair. Afterward, Jelly has said that he had to confront what was wrong with him emotionally that led to him breaking his wife’s trust — and so did Bunnie.

In a recent interview with Howard Stern about her memoir, Bunnie explained, “When we went through that entire situation, I had to look inside myself also and be like, ‘Why am I attracting these men? Because this seems to be a huge pattern in my life.’”

“Not that I’m making excuses for him, but most of the time when men cheat, women wanna point the finger,” she continued. “I didn’t wanna do that. I was like, ‘I really love this man’ … I just knew that something was so special in my husband and I knew that he would become the man that he is today. He just needed somebody to love him.”

Watch Bunnie speak about the affair on Howard Stern below.

DJ Khaled knows a thing or two about winning in life. The Big 12 Conference announced on Wednesday (Feb. 18) that the We the Best mogul will headline the Big 12 Basketball Tournament Afterparty in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 14.

Following the men’s championship game on the T-Mobile Center’s hardwood, Khaled will take the KC Live! stage in the Power & Light District. The performance marks Khaled’s first-ever performance in Kansas City.

“The Big 12 Tournament is one of the biggest and best. I’m looking forward to bringing that energy to the Tournament After Party with a performance and connecting with the fans,” Khaled said in a statement. “Young world, the world is yours — you are now and you are the future! Keep going! WE THE BEST!”

Presented by Venmo, the show is free of charge for fans. Those interested can follow the Big 12 Conference’s social media accounts for updates on how to claim tickets as the concert approaches. Venmo debit card users will have access to special perks at the event.

“We are continually investing in ways to elevate the Big 12 Basketball Tournaments and deliver an unforgettable experience for our fans,” said Tyrel Kirkham, who serves as chief brand and business officer for the Big 12. “DJ Khaled is an incredible performer and we know he will put on a high-energy show. From elite competition on the court to world-class entertainment off it, our goal is to create a championship atmosphere that blends sports and culture in a way only the Big 12 can. Kansas City has been an outstanding partner in helping us bring that vision to life.”

It’s another major year for the Big 12 on the men’s side, with Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Arizona and Texas Tech among the powerhouses vying for the conference title.

“Creating a seamless experience between the arena and KC Live! is always our goal, and this allows us to give fans reasons to come to the games early and stay late,” adds Kansas City Power & Light District president John Moncke. “The Big 12 Conference and the Power & Light District collaboration is about innovation, and the DJ Khaled event pushes the boundaries of blurring the lines between sports and entertainment even further.”  

As for Khaled, he’s continuing to tease his Aalam of God LP, which will be the Miami-based DJ’s 14th studio album.