In Which Our Hero Takes a Quick Break from Yet Another Late Night at the Office to Make Yet Another Musical Confession (in the form of a letter)

Dear Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry,

You know, I dearly love nearly the entirety of your musical catalogue, even your most commercial albums (unlike some people). I dig it. Seeing you in person was one of my favorite memories ever.

But I really, really hate the song "Miami." Loathe it. Quite possibly your worst song ever.

In fact, I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole "Pop" album. It has some great tracks, don't get me wrong--I love "If God Would Send His Angels" and "If You Wear That Velvet Dress" and even "Staring at the Sun," as meaningless as it sounds sometimes.

But "Miami"? "Mofo"? "The Playboy Mansion"? Ugh. Pass. Skip skip skip.

I understand what you were trying to do, and I won't say you weren't at least marginally successful at attacking the industry of shallow "cool" that pop music has become.

But the difference between topical art and lasting art is how it can be applied. (Get it? Topical? nevermind.) Like the recent film adaptation of "V for Vendetta." If it weren't so clearly grounded in the anti-Bush-Administration present, it would be a lasting and resonant work, like "1984."

Not that your "Pop" album was that chronologically grounded, save to your own journey as artists. But...I don't know. I just find myself not caring half of the time. Blame it on my advancing age. I'm bored with anti-establishment angst, even when tempered by self-loathing self-awareness. Been there, done that, got the protest sign.

Like I said, I love you guys. Really. You do good, good work. Your latest album totally worked for me. But I feel like I'd be hypocritical if I didn't get this off my chest.

"Pop" kinda sucks. And "Miami" sucks most of all.

Hope we can still be friends.

--TD.