Colombian music icon Shakira has revealed that Nigerian Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy was her preferred choice for their collaboration on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, “Dai Dai,” because of his unique energy and vocal style.
The global superstar made the revelation during a recent appearance on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, where she discussed the creative process behind the song and her decision to work with the Nigerian Afrobeats star.
Shakira explained that she wanted a strong masculine voice to complement the track and believed Burna Boy’s powerful vocals and performance style were the perfect match for the song’s rhythm and message.
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The singer said she had long admired Burna Boy’s music and was determined to have him contribute to the project.
“I have always loved Burna. I was obsessed with getting him on the track, so I called him,” Shakira said.
She added that the collaboration exceeded her expectations, noting that she could not imagine another artiste taking Burna Boy’s place on the song.
“I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually,” she said.
The collaboration between the two global stars has generated significant attention since the release of “Dai Dai,” with the song achieving major milestones across international music platforms.
The track became the first song to top Spotify’s newly launched Global Music Video Chart, further cementing its worldwide appeal.
Burna Boy also achieved a historic milestone with the release, becoming the first African artiste to reach the number one position on Apple Music’s Global Top Songs chart.
The song’s success has added to the Nigerian singer’s growing list of international achievements, as he reportedly became the African artiste with the highest number of monthly listeners in history on both Spotify and YouTube Music, recording 53 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 600 million views on YouTube Music.
The collaboration has further highlighted the increasing global influence of African music, particularly Afrobeats, on major international stages.
Burna Boy’s involvement in the World Cup project also marks another significant achievement in his career, as he is set to become the first African artiste to perform at the newly introduced FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show.
Shakira, who has previously performed at major global sporting events including the FIFA World Cup, has remained one of the most successful artistes associated with football anthems.
Her 2010 World Cup hit “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” became one of the most recognised football songs in history and helped strengthen her connection with global football audiences.
With “Dai Dai,” Shakira and Burna Boy are continuing that tradition while showcasing the growing influence of African sounds on the world stage ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

