U2 Album Slated for Early 2014 Release

U2 is readying a new album for tentative release in April, Billboard has learned, and is shopping for brand partners to announce the new project via a Super Bowl commercial.

Producer Danger Mouse (real name Brian Burton) has been helming the set, which was recorded primarily at New York's Electric Lady Studios.

Danger Mouse, who is perhaps best known for his work with Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells and for the 2004 Jay-Z/Beatles mashup "The Grey Album,” has been in the mix for a new U2 set since 2010.

The new album will be the follow-up to their 2009 studio set, “No Line on the Horizon,” which gave the band its seventh No. 1 on The Billboard 200 when it bowed in the top slot (a “greatest hits” album arrived the following year).

The news comes amid reports that Live Nation is negotiating a mega-deal to buy the management companies behind U2 and Madonna. Principle is the company of longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness and Madonna manager Guy Oseary runs Maverick. Live Nation, sources say, will pay more than $30 million for both Principle Management and Maverick.

Driving the meetings on the brand-partnership for U2’s new album is Oseary, who has been running U2's day-to-day affairs for a while, Billboard understands. He’s been reaching out to potential sponsors on the band's behalf, according to four executives familiar with plans. Oseary did not respond to requests for comment from Billboard Tuesday afternoon.

U2 recently revealed their first new song in three years with "Ordinary Love," a soaring anthem for the biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."

Good to hear - I thought they were semi-retired.

it's crazy that one guy can manage both madonna and u2. Back in the 80's, one guy managed madonna and michael jackson - this is like thriller/like a virgin/bad/like a prayer - years. Holy shit! Same manager???

There's only 24 hours in a day! I need to work harder.

Talk about teasing the fans.

On OCTOBER 17th U2 announced if you want

to hear a snippet of a new song watch this movie trailer.

That's right - watch a movie trailer to hear A SNIPPET

of a song.

On NOVEMBER 21st U2 releases a lyric video for this song.

Over a month after the movie trailer snippet tease.

Teasers. Rotten Irish teasers.