At first it seemed that Rosalía was going to collaborate with U2. When ‘Carnaval de Luz’ was announced, some outlets even reported that ‘The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)’ was a feature with the singer, although from the outset the word “featuring” did not appear on the tracklist. It was later debunked: Rosalía does not sing on the song. Now we know what her name in the title really means: U2 has dedicated the track to her.
Bono confirms it in an interview with Rolling Stone, where he says he is fascinated by ‘LUX’ and that Rosalía arrived before U2 at some of the ideas they themselves wanted to explore. The song, he explains, was born from his desire to celebrate an artist he considers extraordinary and from that notion of “re-enchanting the world” through art.
‘The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)’ had been circling for years. The opening riff comes from a The Edge demo from around 2017 called ‘Kuti Rocker’, dedicated to Fela Kuti, and it later went through several titles. The version that will appear on the album is number 196. It was during that process that U2 decided to turn it into a song about Rosalía.
Bono wanted to ask for her permission before releasing it, but he didn’t know how to contact her. So he called Penélope Cruz, a friend of both, to ask him how to do it without seeming like a stalker. Rosalía reacted well; they have exchanged messages and even talked about her admiration for Federico García Lorca. Bono has not yet met her in person and says he is gathering the courage to send her the final mix.
U2 even considered having Rosalía sing on the track, but ultimately dismissed the idea because they found it odd that Rosalía “would sing on a song about herself.” The track opens with Bono singing in falsetto, imitating her voice. ‘Carnaval de Luz’ is set to be released on November 13, and ‘The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)’ will be the fourth track on the album.
