Atomic City (U2 song)
| "Atomic City" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by U2 | ||||
| Released | 29 September 2023 | |||
| Studio | Sound City (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Composer(s) | ||||
| Lyricist(s) | Bono | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| U2 singles chronology | ||||
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"Atomic City" is a song by Irish rock band U2, released as a single on 29 September 2023 through Island Records. It was produced by Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite, and was recorded at Sound City Studios. The song was written as a promotional tie-in to the band's U2:UV Achtung Baby Live concert residency at Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley, and it was released the same day the residency began.
The band described the track as a musical homage to artists such as Blondie, Giorgio Moroder, and the Clash as well as post-punk music of the 1970s; co-writing credits for "Atomic City" were given to Debbie Harry and Moroder due to its chorus sharing similarities with Blondie's "Call Me". Lyrically, the song makes references to Las Vegas, with the title taken from the city's nickname from the 1950s when it was a destination for nuclear tourism. It was U2's first new song since "Your Song Saved My Life" from the soundtrack of the animated musical Sing 2 in 2021.
Despite being absent from the residency in order to recuperate from surgery, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. performed on the track and was filmed for its music video, which was shot in Las Vegas and directed by Ben Kutchins. It was nominated for the 2024 MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.