U2 and Martin Garrix Connect on New Single “Fireflies”

U2’s latest collaboration with Dutch producer Martin Garrix isn’t entirely new ground—but “Fireflies” is the first time all four members have worked directly with him. The single, released this week, pushes the Dublin band toward a more immediate pop pulse while keeping familiar elements like The Edge’s ringing guitar and Bono’s declarative vocals intact.

Garrix’s production adds a lean, propulsive sheen to the song, which debuted last month at Tomorrowland. During that set, The Edge joined Garrix onstage for a moment that quickly spread across social media. “Fireflies” lifts its central metaphor from Bono’s lyrics—“You and I are fireflies / Born for the summer skies”—and underlines them with a hook that feels precision-built for festival fields.

This isn’t the first overlap between the two acts. Garrix produced “Scars” from U2’s April EP Easter Lily, and he previously collaborated with Bono and The Edge on “We Are The People,” the official theme for UEFA Euro 2020. Those prior links gave the new track a foundation, but “Fireflies” marks a fuller convergence.

U2 are currently building toward a new album expected later this year. Its first single, “Street of Dreams,” arrived in early July, following two EPs—Days of Ash in February and Easter Lily in April. The band’s last full-length studio record remains 2017’s Songs of Experience.