U2 frontman Bono is reflecting on his past studio collaborations with Ed Sheeran, offering commentary on Sheeran’s recent decision to step back from political dialogue during his international tour.
Speaking with Rolling Stone UK, the 66-year-old rock legend addressed the controversy surrounding Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ Tour, where opening acts and backing musicians departed the lineup after Sheeran removed rapper Macklemore over pro-Palestinian comments made on stage.
Reflecting on the nature of pop stardom and political pressure, Bono cited insights from long-time producer and collaborator Brian Eno while urging critics not to oversimplify the personal dynamics at play.
“I would say with Ed and Macklemore that we shouldn’t personalize this, what’s going on. [U2 collaborator] Brian Eno said today that pop stars are like little fish in a large sea of huge forces and religion and politics. And so I don’t want to dwell on Ed and Macklemore and that incident,” Bono told Rolling Stone UK.
Bono then recalled a conversation with Sheeran during the recording sessions for their collaborative track “Yours Eternally,” illustrating Sheeran’s long-standing desire to keep his pop career separate from political movements.
“I will say this. When we did ‘Yours Eternally’, he was saying, ‘You’re not going to get me into politics, are you?’” Bono recalled. “And I said, ‘This soldier who inspired us, he loved you Ed and you’ve worked on this song.’”
According to Bono, Sheeran maintained his boundary firmly: “Yeah, but I just want to keep my thing free.”
Summarizing the interaction, Bono emphasized respect for artist autonomy: “You can’t be pushing people around.”
