Jay-Z Blames Himself for Delay of the New U2 Album

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Iconic rapper Jay-Z says he may be to blame for the delay of U2's long-promised studio album, 'Songs of Ascent.' Although the disc, which was first expected in 2010, could still be on target for release when the Irish rock giants' North American tour gets underway in May, time is running out to execute a proper publicity campaign.

"One night I ran into Bono and he told me he'd read an interview I'd done," Jay-Z tells The Sun. "The writer had asked me about a U2 record ['No Line on the Horizon'] that had just been released and I said something about the pressure a group like that must be under just to meet their own standards.

"[Bono] said the quote had really gotten to him and he decided to go back to the studio, even though the album was already done, and keep reworking it 'til he thought it was as good as it could possibly be," said Jay-Z, who opened a run of shows in Australia and New Zealand for U2 late last year.

"I was surprised that at that point in his career he still got anxious about his work."

This could explain why a May 27 release date for U2's new album, first listed on the German arm of Amazon.com in late January, has since been pulled. At the moment there is nothing concrete about when the album will surface, but a release date before the summer seems increasingly doubtful.

Last October, manager Paul McGuinness suggested that the follow-up to 2009's 'No Line on the Horizon,' which has sold more than 5 million copies globally, would arrive in "early 2011," and boast titles like 'Mercy,' 'Every Breaking Wave' and 'Boys Fall from the Sky.'

While fans await new music, the group's 360 Tour of North America, which was delayed a year by Bono's debilitating back injury last spring, still launches at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City May 11. Bono and The Edge have also been distracted, caught up in the web of intrigue surrounding their 'Spider-Man' musical on Broadway. The duo, who wrote all of the songs and music for the show, are said to be writing two new numbers following a critical drubbing that also saw the exit of director Julie Taymor.

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