The Rosalía Song Went Through 196 Rewrites, and Bono Called Penélope Cruz for Help

A song eight years in the making, rewritten 196 times, and only sent to its subject once it was finally finished—that's probably the most memorable thing about U2's "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)." In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bono revealed that track four on U2's upcoming 16th studio album Carnaval De Luz, set for release on November 13, is a song written for Rosalía—marking the band's first album of entirely new material since 2017's Songs Of Experience.

"We normally just write songs about people in jail or dead people," Bono 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." He said he's particularly fascinated by Rosalía's album Lux, released this year, which features vocals in 13 languages alongside orchestral arrangements and electronic textures exploring spirituality and religious imagery. "Lux" and "luz" both happen to mean "light"—a coincidence that dovetails with the theme U2 has been exploring on Carnaval De Luz. "She's arrived at the same point just before us, which is annoying and also really inspiring," Bono said, adding that the two share a common artistic interest in the "re-enchantment of the world."

The song's history is more tangled than you'd expect. "The Mirror Maker" can be traced back to 2017, when it was just a demo by The Edge, tentatively titled "Kuti Rocker," inspired by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. It went through various titles and forms afterward, including "Delilah" and "Child Of The Age," before finally taking shape once Rosalía became the subject of the lyrics. Producer Jacknife Lee revealed that the version that made it onto the album was already the 196th revision—they deliberately shifted the song from its original electric rock texture toward something closer to the acoustic vibe of David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" era and T. Rex, because they didn't want the whole song to sound too masculine.

Bono also admitted this long creative process caused a bit of embarrassment: "It's just a little embarrassing that she became so popular before we put out the song. But that doesn't matter to me. Everyone knew about Martin Luther King too."

Even more awkward, he didn't want to release a song named after Rosalía without her consent, but didn't know how to bring it up—so he called their mutual friend Penélope Cruz for help. "I called Penélope: 'What am I gonna do?'" he recalled. Cruz simply replied, "Just call her." Bono joked, "I'm like, 'I look like a stalker.'" In the end, Rosalía's reaction to the song was "really encouraging," and the two later texted about their shared admiration for Spanish poet Federico García Lorca—though they still haven't 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 another collaboration on the way: she'll appear on "Where Is Gone?" from Fontaines D.C.'s fifth album Dopamine Chamber, set for release via XL Recordings on October 16.

Another major highlight on Carnaval De Luz is the closing track "Torn," which features the late Dolly Parton's final recorded performance, laid down just two months before her passing this past August. The country-flavored ballad was co-written by U2, Parton, and Johnny McDaid, with Daniel Lanois on pedal steel guitar. Bono said Parton, already gravely ill at the time, still "got out of her bed to sing this song," and admitted that listening to the recording now still feels difficult.

U2 has already released "Street Of Dreams" from Carnaval De Luz, along with the breezy "Silencio," which dropped last week. The entire album was produced by Jacknife Lee and arrives just as the band celebrates its 50th anniversary.