The past three years have tested U2 in different ways, from the fierce backlash they received for gifting 2014’s Songs of Innocence to every iTunes user to Bono’s devastating bicycle accident, which left him with several fractured bones and a shattered left arm. But those setbacks didn’t compare to another crisis Bono faced last year. “He had a brush with mortality,” says the Edge, choosing his words carefully (the band won’t go into detail on the matter). “He definitely had a serious moment, which caused him to reflect on a lot of things.”

Read here to find out how Bono’s life-changing experience in 2016 influenced the band’s new album.