U2 Planning to Release New Album in Early 2011

In advance of their 2011 US tour, U2 will release its next studio album, the tentatively titled 'Songs of Ascent,' which will likely boast a number of the tunes that the famous foursome debuted on its recent European stadium trek.

"I would expect a new U2 album sooner than anybody thinks. I would guess early 2011 before the next leg of the American tour, which starts in May," band manager Paul McGuinness told the Irish Times. New songs such as 'Mercy,' 'Every Breaking Wave,' and 'Boys Fall from the Sky' are expected to make the disc's final track listing.

McGuinness also refuted the opinion that the group's last album, 2009's 'No Line on the Horizon,' was a flop. He explained that the disc performed "remarkably well," selling nearly five million copies, despite the music industry downturn which he blamed on illegal downloading.

Speaking of the material early this year, guitarist the Edge told Entertainment Weekly, "Some of [the songs] are really, really happy. We're convinced that we have something really special."