U2’s upcoming album ‘Carnaval De Luz’ features a song written about Rosalía, Bono has revealed.
The Irish band announced their 16th studio album last week, confirming it will arrive on November 13 and mark their first full-length collection of new material since 2017’s ‘Songs Of Experience’.
Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Bono has shared more details about the record’s fourth track, ‘The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)’, which is an ode to the Spanish star.
“We normally just write songs about people in jail or dead people,” he joked. “You know, dead heroes, or trying to get them out of jail. This is just celebrating somebody just because they’re an extraordinary artist.”
Bono said he had become particularly captivated by Rosalía’s 2025 album ‘Lux’, which explored spirituality and religious imagery through orchestral music, electronics and vocals in 13 languages.
He noted that its themes – and even its title, with both “lux” and “luz” translating as “light” – overlapped with ideas U2 had themselves been exploring for ‘Carnaval De Luz’.
“She’s arrived at the same point just before us, which is annoying and also really inspiring,” Bono said, adding that he believes the two artists share an interest in the “re-enchantment of the world” through art.
‘The Mirror Maker’ actually dates back to around 2017, initially beginning life as an Edge demo titled ‘Kuti Rocker’ in reference to an influence from Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. It subsequently went through titles including ‘Delilah’ and ‘Child Of The Age’ before Rosalía became its subject.
Producer Jacknife Lee said the version appearing on the album is the song’s 196th iteration, after U2 repeatedly overhauled its music and lyrics.
Lee said the band tried to steer the track away from its original electric rock sound and towards the acoustic feel of David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’ era and T. Rex, explaining that they wanted to avoid making it feel overly masculine.
Bono admitted that the length of time the track has spent in development has created one slightly awkward situation.
“It’s just a little embarrassing that she became so popular before we put out the song,” he said. “But that doesn’t matter to me. Everyone knew about Martin Luther King too.”
The frontman also said he was unwilling to release a song named after Rosalía without first getting her blessing. Unsure how to approach her, he contacted their mutual friend Penélope Cruz.
“I called Penélope: ‘What am I gonna do?’” he recalled, before Cruz told him: “‘Just call her’.”
“I’m like, ‘I look like a stalker,’” Bono added.
He said Rosalía had ultimately been “really encouraging” about the track, and that the pair have since texted and discussed their shared admiration for Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. Despite that, they have still never met in person.
“I sort of don’t think I could meet her now,” Bono said. “I’m just working up courage to send her the final mix.”
Rosalía has a major collaboration of her own arriving shortly. She will feature on Fontaines D.C.’s forthcoming fifth album ‘Dopamine Chamber’, appearing on the track ‘Where Is Gone?’. The record is out on October 16 via XL Recordings.
Meanwhile, ‘Carnaval De Luz’ also includes a significant collaboration with the late Dolly Parton. Closing track ‘Torn’ features Parton’s final recorded vocal performance, recorded just two months before her death in August.
The country ballad was co-written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid, with Daniel Lanois playing pedal steel. Bono has said that Parton “got out of her bed to sing this song” while seriously ill, adding that he now finds the recording difficult to hear.
U2 have already shared ‘Street Of Dreams’ and, last week, the playful ‘Silencio’ from ‘Carnaval De Luz’. The album was produced by Lee and arrives during the band’s 50th anniversary year.
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