Global pop star Shakira has revealed why she selected Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy as her collaborator on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, Dai Dai.
In an interview that aired on July 8 on Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the Colombian singer explained that she specifically wanted a strong, masculine voice to complement the song’s Afrobeat-inspired sound.
“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 very masculine voice that I want in this sort of Afrobeat setting?” Shakira said.
She described Dai Dai as a blend of musical styles, with Afrobeats at its core, alongside Caribbean and R&B influences.
“This song is very Afrobeat-y, but it also has some Caribbean sounds and a little bit of R&B-ish, but it’s mostly Afrobeat,” she explained.
Shakira revealed that she had long admired Burna Boy’s music and had always hoped to work with him.
“I always loved Burna. I always wanted to do something with him.”
After approaching him for the collaboration, she waited about 20 days for his contribution, at one point fearing he might not deliver.
“I called him. I’m like, ‘Hey, are you down to do this?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, why not?’ It took a while. I was waiting for 20 days for him to send something. And I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s not going to do it.’”
When the verse finally arrived, Shakira was thrilled.
“Then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect. I think his voice works so well on this song. So well. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually. I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him.”
Dai Dai served as the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Shakira and Burna Boy first performed it during the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. They reunited for the historic first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where they were joined by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids dance group.
The collaboration marks Shakira’s latest contribution to World Cup music after the massive success of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) in 2010, while also highlighting the growing global influence of Afrobeats.