Global music icon Shakira shared her reasoning for featuring Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy on “Dai Dai,” the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, explaining that the track’s Afrobeat-inspired production called for a commanding masculine vocal.
During an appearance on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill on July 8, the Colombian artist highlighted that the song’s distinct energy and melodic structure made Burna Boy the natural choice for the partnership.
“Well, once I had the song, I felt that I really needed a male vocal, a male voice in the song.
“I don’t know, because the World Cup carries a big male energy, you know? And so I was like, who can give me that, you know, very masculine voice that I want in this sort of like Afrobeat setting?”she said.
According to pop star, the song blends several musical influences but is primarily rooted in Afrobeats.
“Because this song is very Afrobeat-y, but it also has some Caribbean sounds and a little bit of, like, R&B-ish, but it’s mostly Afrobeat,” she explained.
The Grammy Award-winning artist shared that she had been an admirer of Burna Boy’s discography for a long time and had consistently looked for an opportunity to collaborate.
Shakira futher admitted that although Burna Boy took nearly 20 days to return his vocal contribution, she remained confident that the feature would materialize.
She noted that any delay was well worth it once she received his final recorded verse.
“But then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect.
The singer added that she was fully committed to securing Burna Boy’s appearance on the track from the start.
“I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him,” she said.
Backstory…
Recall that Dai Dai served as the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Shakira and Burna Boy first debuted the track live at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca during the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11, 2026.
The pair later joined forces again for the inaugural FIFA World Cup final halftime show on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, accompanied on stage by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids dance group.
This latest release adds to Shakira’s legacy of iconic World Cup anthems following her 2010 hit “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” Meanwhile, Burna Boy’s prominent feature highlighted the global rise of Afrobeats, as “Dai Dai” quickly became a defining track of the tournament.
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