the lead singer of U2—is dropping a new documentary on Apple TV+ on May 30, 2025. It’s called Stories of Surrender, and honestly, it sounds like it’s going to be something really different. It’s not just another concert film. This one’s more personal. It’s based on his solo shows from 2023 in New York, and from what I’ve read, it mixes live acoustic versions of U2 songs with stories from his own life. Like, not just music stuff—but memories, struggles, family, and all that.
The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, the same guy behind Blonde, so you know it’s not going to be your usual music doc. It’s also tied to Bono’s book, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. So it’s kind of like a look inside his head, told through his songs and real-life experiences. If you’ve followed Bono for a while, you’ll probably find this super interesting, especially how he blends music with activism.
He Just Got the Presidential Medal of Freedom Too
This year’s been big for Bono. Back in early 2025, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden. That’s one of the highest honors a civilian can get in the U.S., so yeah—pretty major moment. The whole thing was about recognizing not just his music, but all the work he’s done to fight poverty and AIDS, especially in Africa. You might’ve heard of the ONE campaign or (RED)? Yeah, he helped launch those.
Even if you’re not a huge U2 fan, you’ve gotta respect how long he’s been doing this kind of work. Decades, really. And this award kind of shows that people in power are paying attention to that. Whether you're into his politics or not, it’s hard to ignore the kind of impact he’s had offstage.
Bono’s Not Afraid to Speak His Mind — Even When It Hurts
One thing Bono’s known for is speaking up, and he’s been doing a lot of that lately too. In a bunch of recent interviews, he admitted that all his activism hasn’t always helped his music career. Like, he knows some people got tired of hearing him talk about global issues when they just wanted the music. But he says he doesn’t really regret it. He feels like, if you have that kind of platform, you should use it to do some good.
He also talked about how some foreign aid programs—like PEPFAR—are being cut back by recent U.S. leaders. That really bothers him, and he’s not shy about calling it out. Whether you agree or not, at least he’s staying true to what he believes in. He doesn’t seem too interested in being popular if it means staying silent.
No Re-Release of U2’s ‘Pop’ Album for Now
If you’re one of those fans waiting for a special re-release of U2’s Pop album for its 30th anniversary, sorry—but it’s probably not happening. Word is, the band isn’t really planning on doing anything big with it at the moment. People close to them have said there are no reissue plans on the table right now. That’s kind of a bummer for longtime fans, but it looks like they’ve got their focus elsewhere—maybe new music or just taking a break from the old stuff.
