Which U2 album followed Songs of Innocence as its thematic companion?

Songs of Experience followed Songs of Innocence as U2’s thematic companion album.

Released in 2017, Songs of Experience was conceived as a companion to Songs of Innocence, which U2 released in 2014. The two titles draw on William Blake’s poetry collections Songs of Innocence and of Experience, published in the late eighteenth century.

The album includes songs such as “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” “Get Out of Your Own Way,” and “The Blackout.” Its themes reflect maturity, family, mortality, politics, and the perspective of lived experience.

The album is sometimes confused with U2’s earlier records because it continues the band’s long-running interest in autobiographical and spiritual themes. Its key distinction is its deliberate pairing with Songs of Innocence, both in title and concept.