Can somebody give this man a hug? Maybe not your iTunes account info, but a big hug? Bono, a colossally successful rock star who has a lot of fans and a lot of money, seems to be going through some sort of existential crisis, telling The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that U2 now makes him “cringe” with most of their songs, his vocals, and their name choice. “I’ve been in the car when one of our songs has come on the radio and I’ve been the color, as we say in Dublin, scarlet. I’m just so embarrassed,” he explained. “I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot, and maybe that’s the place to be as an artist — you know, right at the edge of your level of embarrassment. And the lyrics as well. I feel that on Boy and other albums, it was sketched out, very unique and original material. But I don’t think I filled in the details.”
Besides U2’s 2004 smash hit “Vertigo,” Bono said that listening to himself sing “makes me cringe a bit,” as well as when he remembers what the band is called. “In our head, it was like the spy plane, U-boat,” he recalled. “It was futuristic, as it turned out to imply this kind of acquiescence. No, I don’t like that name. I still don’t really like the name.” However, Bono stressed that his criticisms are self-effacing and not at all related to his bandmates, whom he called “incredible” musicians. (Also good, because the Edge was his fellow podcast guest.) “I just found the voice very strained and kind of not macho and my Irish macho was kind of strained by that,” he added. “A big discovery for me was listening to the Ramones and hearing the beautiful kind of sound of Joey Ramone and realizing I didn’t have to be that rock-and-roll singer. But I only became a singer recently. Maybe it hasn’t happened yet for some people’s ears, and I understand that.” Bono, baby. There’s only One of you. Can someone from U2’s 18 million Spotify fans tell him how great he is?
