Colombian music icon Shakira has opened up about why she selected Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy to feature on the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying his distinctive voice was exactly what the record needed.
Speaking during an interview on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the Grammy-winning singer revealed that she wanted a powerful male vocalist who could complement the song’s Afrobeats-inspired sound and match the energy of football’s biggest tournament.
“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?”
Shakira explained that while Dai Dai incorporates influences from the Caribbean and R&B, Afrobeats remains the dominant musical style, making Burna Boy the ideal collaborator.
“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 also disclosed that working with Burna Boy had been something she had wanted to do for years.
“And I always loved Burna. I always wanted to do something with him.”
According to the singer, Burna Boy immediately agreed to join the project when she reached out, but she admitted she became anxious after waiting nearly three weeks for him to submit his verse.
“So 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.'”
Her concerns disappeared once Burna Boy finally delivered his vocals.
“But then he sent his magic, and it was just absolutely perfect.
“I think his voice is just… It works so well on this song. So well. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”
Shakira added that she was determined to have the Nigerian star on the record from the beginning.
“I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him.”
Released on May 15, 2026, Dai Dai serves as the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with royalties from the song helping to finance educational initiatives for children around the world.
Shakira and Burna Boy debuted the song during the tournament’s opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, before reuniting for a performance at the inaugural FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The halftime spectacle also featured performances from Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Uganda’s Ghetto Kids, making it one of the most star-studded musical events in World Cup history.
