Colombian superstar Shakira has revealed why she selected Afrobeats singer Burna Boy to feature on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai.”
In an interview aired on July 8 on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, Shakira said she sought a strong masculine voice to match the song’s Afrobeat-inspired sound and the tournament’s energy
“Well, once I had the song, I felt that I really needed a male vocal, a male voice in the song,” she said. “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?”
Shakira described the track as “very Afrobeat-y” with Caribbean and R&B influences, adding that she had long admired Burna Boy’s work and wanted to collaborate with him.
She noted that the Nigerian star took about 20 days to send his contribution. “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. But then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect,’” Shakira said.
“I think his voice is just… It 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,” she added.
The collaboration marks a high-profile pairing between Latin pop and Afrobeats ahead of the expanded 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
