Nigerian music star Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has extended his record as the most certified Nigerian artist in France after his collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira, “Dai Dai”, received a gold certification in the European country.
The song served as the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Blending Spanish and English, the upbeat track enjoyed massive commercial success and climbed to the top of global streaming charts.
Burna Boy and Shakira performed the anthem during the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Mexico and are also scheduled to headline the tournament’s historic 30-minute halftime show during the final on July 19.
The latest certification further cements his reputation as one of the most successful African artists in the French music market. The Port Harcourt-born Afro-fusion star has now amassed 17 certification plaques in France, the highest ever by a Nigerian artist.
His achievements include six diamond certifications for the hit singles “Gbona”, “On The Low”, and “Last Last”. Diamond plaques have also been awarded to “Location”, his collaboration with British-Nigerian rapper Dave; “Jerusalema” with South Africa’s Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode; and “Be Honest” with British singer Jorja Smith.
In addition, the Grammy winner has earned four platinum certifications, including for the career-defining anthem “Ye” and his 2023 smash hit “City Boys”.
His contributions to Dadju’s “Donne-moi L’accord” and Coldplay’s “We Pray” also received platinum recognition.
With “Dai Dai” adding another international milestone to his catalogue, Burna Boy continues to strengthen his standing as a global music powerhouse and one of Africa’s most commercially successful artists on the world stage.
Meanwhile, Justin Bieber has been added to the star-packed lineup of the first-ever World Cup final halftime show as organisers confirmed Wednesday that the entire musical performance will last 11 minutes.
Canadian megastar Bieber joins Madonna and K-pop sensation BTS for the Super Bowl-style halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the extravaganza, a first for a football World Cup final and one that has raised concerns over how long the game’s halftime break will be.
The laws of football allow a halftime interval “not exceeding 15 minutes”. Even an 11-minute musical performance could still require the break to be extended, given the time likely required to set up and disassemble the show.
But the announcement will assuage concerns raised by previous speculation that the World Cup final halftime show itself could stretch for as long as 25 minutes.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has said the halftime show will be “definitely the biggest stage ever,” with “a couple of billion” expected to tune in.
Credit: AFP
