Shakira and Burna Boy released their official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, ‘Dai Dai’, on 15 May, and performed the track at the opening ceremony on 11 June.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Colombian singer and dancer Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known simply as Shakira, has revealed that she collaborated with ace Afrobeats artiste Damini Ogulu, also known as Burna Boy, on the 2026 FIFA World Cup song, ‘Dai Dai’, because his energetic vocals were perfect for the track.
The 49-year-old singer-songwriter made this known recently while appearing as a guest on an episode of the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill.
Shakira and Burna Boy released their official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, ‘Dai Dai’ (often written as ‘Dia Dia’), on 15 May 2026.
They performed the track live together at the tournament’s opening ceremony on 11 June 2026 and during the historic first-ever World Cup final halftime show on 19 July 2026.
Justifying her decision to bring the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer on board, Shakira explained that she needed a powerful masculine vocal on the song, and he was the perfect fit.
ALSO READ: Burna Boy and Shakira reunite as fans brace for historic World Cup final halftime show.
She further admitted that she had always been obsessed with working with the 35-year-old “Last Last” hitmaker.
Speaking during the interview, the pop star said: “I have always loved Burna. I was obsessed with getting him on the track, so I called him.”
Shakira also relished the collaboration, stressing that she “couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”
Since its release, ‘Dai Dai’ has shattered global music records, including becoming the first song to reach number one on Spotify’s newly launched Global Music Video Chart.
The song also made Burna Boy the first African artiste to reach number one on the Apple Music Global Top Songs chart, as well as the African artiste with the most monthly listeners in history on both Spotify and YouTube Music, at 53 million and 600 million respectively.
