‘I’m obsessed with him’ – Shakira reveals why she chose Burna Boy for World Cup song

Global pop sensation Shakira has opened up about her decision to feature Grammy-winning Nigerian star Burna Boy on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai.”

Speaking during an interview on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the Colombian singer said she specifically wanted a powerful male voice to complement the track and believed Burna Boy was the ideal artiste for the collaboration.

According to Shakira, she had long admired the Afrobeats star and was determined to have him on the song.

“I have always loved Burna. I was obsessed with getting him on the track, so I called him,” she said.

The singer added that Burna Boy’s distinctive voice and energetic performance brought the perfect balance to the record.

“I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually,” she added.

Since its release, “Dai Dai” has enjoyed remarkable global success, setting multiple streaming milestones. The song became the first to top Spotify’s Global Music Video Chart, while also helping Burna Boy become the first African artiste to reach No. 1 on Apple Music’s Global Top Songs chart.

The collaboration also propelled Burna Boy to new career milestones, including becoming the African artiste with the highest monthly listeners on both Spotify and YouTube Music, with more than 53 million and 600 million monthly listeners respectively.

In addition, Burna Boy made history as the first African artiste to perform at the newly introduced FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, where he shared the stage with Shakira during the tournament’s grand finale.