U2 frontman Bono has been slammed by some for giving a shoutout to first lady Jill Biden during a recent live show.
U2 were performing the last show of their 40-date residency in Las Vegas on Saturday when the singer had a special message for the women in his life.
As they were preparing to perform the song “All I Want Is You,” from their 1988 album Rattle and Hum, Bono explained the meaning behind some of the lyrics.
Julie Nikhinson/Getty Images
“This song, when we wrote it, I tried to write the lyrics from the point of view of the woman or the bride, in this case, which is pretty arrogant, I suppose. That was a trick for me to get to the lyric I was playing on myself,” Bono explained.
“Tonight, I want to dedicate it to all the great women in our lives—our partners, our mothers, our daughters, all the women on the U2 crew, all the great women in our audience that we feel we know, and all the great women in parts of the world going through very difficult circumstances that we could never know.
“And one woman in particular who is with us tonight, she’s a teacher. She’s your first lady, so this is for Jill Biden.”
A video of the moment was shared to X, formerly Twitter, by The Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Gardner, who was in attendance on the night.
SOME NEWS: Bono takes U2 on a break from Achtung Baby to perform “All I Want is You” and dedicates song to all women in world, on their crew, women experiencing hardship in world. Then he dedicates it to special guest in Sphere audience…”your First Lady, Jill Biden.” pic.twitter.com/CF4nGlYmYV
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) March 3, 2024
The crowd in the Sphere at The Venetian where U2 was performing could be heard cheering loudly during Bono’s speech, but others on social media were less than impressed.
“so glad I decided not to go to the sphere…eewwe,” replied one person.
Another added: “I just threw-up in my mouth…”
And a third wrote: “That guy is such a fraud.”
Newsweek contacted Bono’s representatives by email for comment.
Bono has had a long relationship with Biden, including being her special guest at President Biden’s State of the Union address in 2023.
He was invited for his work combating poverty and HIV/AIDS, and sat in her box at a joint session of the U.S. Congress on February 7.
Bono sat with Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova and Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democratic former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Prior to that, Bono and U2 were named as recipients of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2022.
“One of most influential rock bands of the modern rock era, U2, won over America and the world long ago with their iconic anthems, potent lyrics, and powerful messages of social justice and global citizenship—earning a musical legacy that crosses generations, inspires, and unites,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in a press release at the time.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.