Pop was the first U2 album to feature Larry Mullen Jr. using a drum machine in the band’s recorded work.
Released in 1997, Pop marked a strong turn toward dance, electronic, and club-influenced production. Mullen had been recovering from back surgery during the album’s development, and the production process incorporated programmed rhythms alongside his conventional drumming.
The album was recorded primarily at Hanover Quay in Dublin and featured production by Flood, Howie B, and other collaborators. Songs including “Discothèque,” “Mofo,” and “Please” reflected U2’s interest in contemporary electronic textures and sampling.
Pop is sometimes grouped together with Achtung Baby and Zooropa as part of U2’s 1990s reinvention, but the albums differ in emphasis. Achtung Baby introduced the electronic direction, Zooropa extended it, and Pop pushed the dance-oriented approach further.