U2’s new album features track about “extraordinary artist” Rosalía, reveals Bono

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’.

Agora, em uma nova entrevista com a Rolling Stone, Bono compartilhou mais detalhes sobre a quarta faixa do disco, ‘The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)’, que é uma homenagem à estrela espanhola.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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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