Why I chose Burna Boy for World Cup anthem — Shakira

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Global pop star, Shakira, has revealed why she chose Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Burna Boy, for the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, Dai Dai, saying she wanted a strong masculine voice to complement the song’s Afrobeat-inspired sound.

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Speaking in an interview that aired on July 8 on capital evening show with jimmy hill, the Colombian singer said the song’s energy and musical direction made Burna Boy the perfect choice for the collaboration.

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“Well, once I had the song, I felt that I really needed a male vocal, a male voice in the song.

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“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.

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According to Shakira, the song blends several musical influences but is primarily rooted in Afrobeats.

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“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.

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The Grammy-winning singer added that she had admired Burna Boy’s music for years and had always wanted to collaborate with him.

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“And I always loved Burna. I always wanted to do something with him,” she said.

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Shakira disclosed that although Burna Boy initially took about 20 days to send his contribution, she never stopped hoping the collaboration would happen.

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“So I called him. I’m like, ‘Hey, are you down to do this?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, why not?’

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“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.’”

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She said the wait proved worthwhile after Burna Boy eventually delivered his verse.

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“But then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect.

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“I think his voice is just… It works so well on this song. So well. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”

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Shakira further admitted she had been determined to secure Burna Boy’s participation on the record.

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“I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him,” she said.

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PUNCH Online reports that Dai Dai served as the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Shakira and Burna Boy first performed the track during the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

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The duo reunited for another performance during the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show on July 19, 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where they were joined by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids dance group.

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The collaboration marked Shakira’s latest contribution to FIFA World Cup music following the success of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the official song of the 2010 tournament. Burna Boy’s appearance also highlighted Afrobeats’ growing influence on the global music stage, with Dai Dai emerging as one of the tournament’s biggest songs.

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