Key Takeaways
- Bono wrote “The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)” to celebrate Rosalía as an extraordinary artist, though she does not perform on the track.
- The song evolved from a 2017 Edge demo through 196 versions, and Bono sought Rosalía’s blessing through mutual friend Penélope Cruz before releasing it.
- The track appears on U2’s 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, their first collection of new material in nine years, arriving November 13.
Bono says he spent months working up the nerve to send Rosalía a song he wrote about her — a song that will appear on U2's new album in November.
The track is called "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)," and it sits fourth on Carnaval De Luz, the band's 16th studio album and its first set of new material in nine years.
Bono confirmed the song is about the Spanish singer in a Rolling Stone cover story, and framed it as a break from how U2 usually approaches writing about real people.
"We normally just write songs about people in jail or dead people. You know, dead heroes, or trying to get them out of jail," he said. "This is just celebrating somebody just because they're an extraordinary artist."
His fixation began with Rosalía's 2025 album Lux, which he says dealt with many themes he also explores on his own new record, but got there first.
"She's arrived at the same point just before us, which is annoying and also really inspiring," Bono said.
He believes they share the same aim, a re-enchantment of the world through art.
The song took nearly a decade to become that. It started around 2017 as an Edge demo called "Kuti Rocker," a nod to Fela Kuti, and passed through titles including "Delilah" and "Child of the Age."
The album’s producer, Garret “Jacknife” Lee, says the version on the album is the 196th, with completely rewritten lyrics.
"Why are we singing about Rosalía? How is it relevant?" Lee recalled the band asking. The band also floated having Rosalía sing on it, before deciding against the idea.
Uneasy about putting the song out without her blessing, Bono went to mutual friend Penélope Cruz for guidance on how to approach her.
"I called Penélope: 'What am I gonna do?' 'Just call her' … I'm like, 'I look like a stalker,'" he said.
Rosalía turned out to be “encouraging” about it, per Bono, and the two have texted about their shared love of poet Federico García Lorca. Although the track does not actually feature Rosalía, it reportedly opens with Bono doing something of an impression of the song’s subject.
For now, Bono is still stalling on the handoff.
"I sort of don't think I could meet her now. I'm just working up courage to send her the final mix," he said.
U2’s Carnaval de Luz will be released on November 13.
