Ed Sheeran Told Bono He Didn't Want to 'Get Into Politics' While Recording Political Song Amid Macklemore Drama

Ed Sheeran told Bono he did not want to weigh in on tougher issues while working with U2 on a song inspired by the war in Ukraine.

"You're not going to get me into politics, are you?" Bono recalled Sheeran asking during a recent interview.

The U2 frontman recounted that the conversation happened while the musicians were working on "Yours Eternally," a track from U2's 2026 EP Days of Ash that also features Ukrainian musician Taras Topolia.

The song is written from the perspective of a Ukrainian serviceman during Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

Bono recalled explaining to the 35-year-old singer, "I said, 'This soldier who has inspired us, he loved you Ed, and you've worked on this song.'"

The "Thinking Out Loud" singer was adamant, saying, "Yeah, but I just want to keep my thing free."

Bono also addressed the controversy surrounding Sheeran and Macklemore, whose working relationship became a major talking point after Macklemore's removal from the U.S. leg of Sheeran's Loop Tour.

"I would say with Ed and Macklemore that we shouldn't personalize this, what's going on," Bono maintained. "And so I don't want to dwell on Ed and Macklemore and that incident."

The U2 singer instead pointed to the wider pressures facing artists when music intersects with religion, politics and humanitarian issues.

Bono's Irish rock band has a long history of addressing political and humanitarian subjects through its music and performances.

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. cited producer Brian Eno's argument that artists can decide for themselves whether they want to become involved in political issues.

"It's not our job to criticize that, no matter how we feel," Mullen continued, noting that U2 would object to promoters or wealthy venue owners attempting to dictate what musicians can say onstage. He pointed to the band's history with songs including "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

Bono likewise admitted U2 willingly courts political battles but respects those who choose a different path.

"We've been getting into this trouble. It's what we do and we're happy to do that," the singer observed. "But we're also happy to recognise if there's other people don't want to get into that kind of fight."

Bono's comments emerged after Sheeran faced renewed attention over his position on political expression following the Macklemore fallout.

Sheeran later clarified the "Thrift Shop" hitmaker's removal from his remaining dates: "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine."

The British singer subsequently addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict during a September concert, saying the suffering in Gaza was "catastrophic and unjustifiable."

"My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives," Sheeran wrote in an Instagram statement.

He, however, maintained that he did not want to become an activist musician or turn his shows into political forums.