Global music icon Shakira has revealed why she selected Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy to feature on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, Dai Dai, saying his distinctive voice was exactly what the song needed.
Speaking during an interview on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the Colombian singer said she wanted a powerful male voice to balance the record’s Afrobeat-inspired sound and felt Burna Boy was the perfect fit.
“Once I had the song, I felt that I really needed a male vocal, a male voice in the song. The World Cup carries a big male energy, and I was like, who can give me that very masculine voice that I want in this sort of Afrobeat setting?” Shakira said.
The Grammy-winning singer explained that while Dai Dai blends different musical influences, Afrobeats remains the dominant sound, making Burna Boy an ideal collaborator.
“This song is very Afrobeat-y, but it also has some Caribbean sounds and a little bit of R&B. But it’s mostly Afrobeat,” she explained.
Shakira also revealed that she had admired Burna Boy’s music for years and had always hoped to work with the Nigerian star on a project.
“I always loved Burna. I always wanted to do something with him,” she said.
According to the singer, Burna Boy immediately expressed interest in the collaboration when she reached out, although she admitted she became anxious after waiting nearly three weeks for him to send his verse.
“I called him and asked, ‘Are you down to do this?’ He said, ‘Yeah, why not?’ It took a while. I was waiting for 20 days for him to send something, and I started thinking maybe he wasn’t going to do it.”
However, Shakira said all her worries disappeared once Burna Boy finally submitted his contribution.
“Then he sent his magic, and it was absolutely perfect. His voice works so well on this song. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”
She further admitted that she was determined to have the African music star on the record.
“I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him,” she added.
Dai Dai was released as the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was first performed by Shakira and Burna Boy during the tournament’s opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. The pair reunited for another performance during the inaugural FIFA World Cup final halftime show on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, alongside Uganda’s Ghetto Kids dance troupe.
The collaboration marks Shakira’s latest contribution to FIFA World Cup music after the global success of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the official anthem for the 2010 tournament. For Burna Boy, the project further underscores Afrobeats’ growing influence on the international stage, with Dai Dai emerging as one of the biggest songs of the 2026 World Cup.
