U2 team up with Kendrick Lamar to produce a song that shows glimpses of their former brilliance, and suggests that they are back on track
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After inadvertently plaguing their own reputation with the ill-judged and obnoxiously imposed marketing for their previous album Songs of Innocence, U2 is back, attempting to revitalise their once-legendary public image with new song ‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’.
The band have definitely been subject to some undeserved criticism in recent times, with Bono and co. almost becoming memes in their own right after the iTunes debacle, but ‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’ reminds us that they’re still capable of making outstanding music. The track, whilst starting with Bono’s crooning tones, soon progresses into an eruptive chorus that is fit to fill any arena. The rock icons have also once again teamed up with one of the very best rappers out there, with the song featuring a spoken word outro from Kendrick Lamar, after U2 featured on Kendrick’s ‘XXX’. Despite being one of the oddest-sounding collaborations on paper, Kendrick’s addition to the song elevates ‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’ into a deeply emotive anthem, with the lines “For you can only truly own what you give away/ Like your pain”.
Of course, the song doesn’t quite match up with the likes of ‘With Or Without You’ or ‘Beautiful Day’, but it shows glimpses of the band our parents love and gives us hope that the forthcoming album Songs of Experience will be a step back in the right direction.
‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’ is out now via Universal
