Colombian superstar Shakira has revealed why Burna Boy was her first choice for Dai Dai, the official soundtrack of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting she patiently waited almost three weeks for the Nigerian singer to deliver his verse.
In a recent interview, the award-winning artiste said she envisioned Burna Boy on the record from the moment the song was created, explaining that she needed a powerful male voice to balance its Afrobeats-inspired sound and match the spirit of the World Cup.
“Once I had this song, I felt I really needed a male vocal in the song because the World Cup carries a big male energy,” she said.
“I was like, who can give me that very masculine voice that I want in this sort of Afrobeats setting? Because this song is very Afrobeats, but it also has some Caribbean sounds and a little bit of R&B.
“I’ve always loved Burna. I always wanted to do something with him, so I called him. I’m like, ‘Hey, are you down to do this?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’”
Although Burna Boy agreed to feature on the track, Shakira admitted she began to wonder if the collaboration would happen after waiting for several weeks without hearing from him.
“It took a while. I was waiting for about 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,” she said.
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“I was so obsessed about having Burna on this track. I’m so glad that I got him.”
Shakira noted that Burna Boy’s contribution completed the song exactly as she had imagined, adding that his performance elevated the final version.
Beyond celebrating football, the singer explained that Dai Dai was also created to inspire children across the world by encouraging them to believe in their dreams and highlighting the importance of giving young people access to better educational opportunities.