New U2 Video for 'Vertigo' Premieres as AOL Music's 100th First View Exclusive Music Video Debut

Business Wire, Oct 27, 2004

NEW YORK -- America Online, Inc. the world's leading interactive services company, will celebrate its landmark 100th AOL(R) Music First View by unveiling the exclusive world premiere of the new video by U2. The video for the band's hit song, "Vertigo," will be available for 24 hours beginning Wednesday, October 27, at 12:01am ET for all AOL members and those on the web, at aolmusic.com. "Vertigo" is the first single off of U2's hotly anticipated new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, scheduled for release by Interscope Records on November 23. The video, the band's first in four years, will mark the 100th video to debut on AOL(R) Music's groundbreaking First View program before any other media outlet, including television. "With media being so fragmented today, AOL music really allows us to hit the target as they have such an active and hungry music community. It really can make a difference in marketing our music," said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope, Geffen, A&M Records.

"It is an honor to have the new U2 video first," states Evan Harrison, Vice President and General Manager of AOL Music. "'Vertigo' is an explosive song. We absolutely expect the video to resonate with our vast online audience, many of whom have grown up with the band."

The AOL Music First View program exclusively debuts new videos by the biggest names in music, before they are available anywhere else, including television. Since the program's launch, AOL(R) members have had the opportunity to see world premieres of videos from top artists, including Usher, Madonna, Avril Lavigne, Outkast, Toby Keith, Sting, Gwen Stefani and more.

With a career spanning four decades, U2 is one of the world's most recognized, celebrated and critically acclaimed rock bands of all time. The band's spirited anthems about politics and religion, emotional ballads of love and loss, and the uncanny ability to change with the times and never take themselves too seriously have helped U2 to sell over 120 million albums worldwide and win 14 Grammy awards. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which will be released on November 23 on Interscope Records, is U2's 11th studio album.

AOL Music is a leading online destination for music, reaching over 19 million music fans a month through a rich array of programming, products and services that make it easy to discover, experience, listen to and buy music online.(1) AOL Music's offerings, which include original programs and special features for AOL for Broadband, are available through the AOL(R) Music Channel, aolmusic.com, the AOL Radio@ Network, Netscape(R) Music, CompuServe(R) Music, AIM(R) Music, ICQ(R) Music, Winamp(R) and SHOUTcast(R).

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.

(1) comScore Media Metrix, September 2004