U2 are turning their admiration for Rosalía into music, with the Spanish star inspiring one of the songs on the band’s upcoming album, Carnaval De Luz.
The track, “The Mirror Maker (Rosalía),” appears fourth on the album and celebrates an artist who has clearly caught Bono’s attention. Despite her name appearing in the title, Rosalía does not perform on the recording.
Bono’s fascination intensified after hearing Rosalía’s 2025 album Lux. He found connections between its spiritual themes and ideas U2 had been exploring themselves, giving the band an unusual starting point for a song about another contemporary artist.
The music behind “The Mirror Maker” actually predates that inspiration by several years. The song traces its beginnings to a demo created by The Edge around 2017, originally known as “Kuti Rocker” because of its Fela Kuti influence. It later passed through other identities as U2 continued reshaping it.
The transformation was extensive. Producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee has said the version destined for the album represents the 196th incarnation of the track.
At one stage, the band considered bringing Rosalía onto the recording as a vocalist. Instead, U2 ultimately decided the song would be about her rather than a collaboration with her.
That created another problem for Bono. Writing about a living artist is one thing. Releasing the song without making sure that artist is comfortable with it is another.
Unsure how to approach Rosalía, Bono sought help from Penélope Cruz, a mutual connection. His nervousness about contacting the singer even prompted him to joke that the whole situation was making him look like a stalker.
The concern apparently proved unnecessary. Rosalía responded warmly, and she and Bono have since exchanged messages. Their conversations have included a shared appreciation for Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.
Curiously, all that artistic admiration has yet to produce a face-to-face meeting. Bono said he and Rosalía still haven’t met, and he was still gathering the nerve to send her the completed mix of the song.
“The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)” will arrive as part of Carnaval De Luz on November 13. The album is U2’s 16th studio release and their first full collection of newly written material in nine years.
For a band approaching five decades together, turning a fellow artist’s work into creative fuel suggests U2 remain interested in looking forward rather than simply revisiting their past.
