Bono to release Stories of Surrender EP

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2025-05-15)

Update: May 16, 2025:

Thanks to an always accurate insider, we can confirm that the “Stories of Surrender” EP will not only have a digital release, but will also be available in vinyl format. A 7-Inch vinyl copy of the EP will be sold. Pre-orders for the vinyl version will be launched when the EP is announced later today. The vinyl will have the same content as the digital version, and the first song “The Showman” is now available on most digital platforms. The full EP comes out on May 30.

You can listen to “The Showman” here, and our discography entry for the EP is available here if you are looking for more information about release variations.

We expect the announcement to be made at 11am or noon. (Eastern time zone.)

Original Story: May 15, 2026:

On May 30 there will be a new EP released from Bono, titled the “Stories of Surrender” EP.

Three songs will be featured on the EP:

  • “Desire” (Stories of Surrender Version) (02:21)
  • “The Showman” (Stories of Surrender Version) (03:10)
  • “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (Stories of Surrender Version) (03:52)

Additionally the EP on Apple Music / iTunes will include the Stories of Surrender trailer which is 2:10 in length. “The Showman” will be available tomorrow, May 16 when you pre-order the EP from services offering pre-orders (Apple, Qobuz, etc.) and from some services as a standalone track. Only Apple appears to have the trailer attached, and some of these services (Deezer for one) will just have the single track instead of the whole EP.

These are new versions of the songs. “The Showman” is Bono’s voice accompanied by minimal music, and a female backing vocal by Gemma Doherty. You can hear him talk throughout to give instructions, so it sounds like this was from an early demo. “The Showman” was not used in Bono’s eventual stage performances of the show.

The EP features the same cover as the documentary Stories of Surrender, out May 30 on Apple TV+. The cover can be seen below.


IMAGE: Stories of Surrender EP Cover

The formats we are aware of are all digital releases. [Update: A vinyl release is being planned as well.]

The Showman (Stories of Surrender Version):
Written by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
Mixed by, and produced by Jacknife Lee.
Musical Director: Jacknife Lee
Background Vocalist: Gemma Doherty
Cello: Kate Ellis
Mastering Engineer: Ruairi O’Flaherty

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