After Argentina’s widely celebrated FIFA World Cup win in December of 2022, Alex Cósmico had to capture those feelings in a song. The Columbian-born-and-raised, Austin-based singer-songwriter (Alex Mendoza, they/them) teamed up with percussionist and audio engineer Zach Kursman, finally releasing “Rozal10” on June 20, and rekindling that fútbol fire.

The release comes six months after the win, but only weeks after star player Lionel Messi signed to Inter Miami on July 5. Mendoza calls this a “crazy coincidence," given the song’s chorus about living large in the Florida city.

“When I went into writing ‘Rozal10,’ Messi had just won the World Cup, which was a huge moment in my life," Mendoza said in a release. "Growing up, I had Messi posters on my walls, and I loved watching him grow alongside Ronaldinho. Then he killed it with [Paris Saint-Germain] and Neymar, but winning the World Cup is monumental.”

The friends and collaborators had been listening to “hard and dirty reggaeton” at the time (“‘muisca de la calle’ is what my mom would call it!” said Mendoza), so the musical tone was primed before the game even started. The goal was to make a summer song: “something that … made you move your body and let it all out.”

Mendoza’s music as Alex Cósmico usually tends to take a mellow, coffeehouse form with some psychedelic twists. But “Rozal10” is a departure, much more at home somewhere in the 4th Street District. Semi-whispered and doubled vocals build that trance the songwriters hoped for, swept away by a strong four-on-the-floor beat and samba stylings.

Lyrics are a driving force in this work, named “Rozal10” in reference to superstar Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía and the number on Mendoza’s first jersey: Barcelona’s iconic No. 10.

Some of the Rosalía-inspired lines include name dropping luxury brands to mimic the singer’s lavish music videos, and a pledge of allegiance to her combination of reggaeton and flamenco. ([Translated:] “I spend all day listening to Rosalía, the queen of fusion: Motomami Catalina.”) Bringing the lyrics back to the game amidst the jet setting of Motomami, the song zooms in on Qatar.

“[The lyric is,] ‘Like Messi in Qatar, dreaming with all my might,’” because he fought so hard for that World Cup,” said Mendoza. “It’s how it feels being a musician and an artist. He’s played so many World Cups and finally got the title he deserved all along. But he had to fight a lot to get there and had to have the correct team along his side!"

Finally, the individual references fade away for a bigger picture of Colombia, with the sounding off of the early 2000s tourism slogan, “Colombia es pasión.” Mendoza remembers, “I left around that time and ‘Colombia es pasión stayed with me for years, nurturing that part of me that missed home. That passion also lives within me.”

Mendoza is a growing figure in the Austin scene, still making the first of their official solo records after recording harder rock in the band Cosmic Chaos and contributing sculpture art around town for years. The friendly Austin artist is always ready to jump on a project, especially for live events.

"[It’s] a reminder that I can’t do this all on my own, but with my community anything is possible," they said. "Now more than ever, I feel like my lil’ group of helpers is growing and going in the correct direction.”

Listen to "Rozal10" on Spotify, Apple Music, or iTunes. Alex Cósmico is playing a free set on July 21 at Chess Club during Hot Summer Nights, a benefit festival for the Red River Cultural District. The event, starting at 7 pm, also features Geranium Drive, Queen Serence, Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band, and a DJ set by John Dwire.