Shakira reveals her fixation, explaining why Burna Boy was her top pick for World Cup anthem collaboration

Shakira, the renowned Colombian pop superstar, has spoken out about her choice to team up with Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, revealing her unwavering desire to have him on board.

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During her conversation on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, Shakira expressed her desire for a powerful male voice to enhance the song, titled 'Dai Dai,' and believed Burna Boy's unique energy and vocal style made him the ideal candidate.

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Shakira confessed her long-standing admiration for Burna Boy, stating "I have always loved Burna" and revealing she was so keen to collaborate with him that she personally reached out to him to secure his feature on the track.

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The experience of working with Burna Boy was thoroughly enjoyable for Shakira, who insisted that she couldn't envision anyone else complementing her on the record, saying "I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually."

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Following its release, 'Dai Dai' has achieved immense global success, shattering multiple music records in the process.

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The song made history by becoming the first to claim the top spot on Spotify's newly launched Global Music Video Chart, while also propelling Burna Boy to the number one position on the Apple Music Global Top Songs chart, a first for an African artiste.

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Burna Boy's collaboration with Shakira led to him setting a new record for the most monthly listeners by an African artiste, with 53 million on Spotify and a staggering 600 million on YouTube Music.

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Burna Boy further cemented his place in history by becoming the first African artiste to perform at the newly introduced FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show.