After a dozen years since it first hit the airwaves, Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” has finally found its way onto the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, climbing to the 46th spot on the latest rankings. It also entered the Billboard Global 200 at No. 96, proving that its resurgence is no fluke.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup happening in Qatar right now, soccer enthusiasts are naturally turning to favorite tunes and anthems to get into the spirit of the prestigious tournament. And it seems like “Waka Waka” is once again becoming a go-to song for fans to groove to during the month-long competition.
Shakira’s multilingual hit “Waka Waka,” featuring Freshlyground, became a worldwide sensation as the official FIFA song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The song’s infectious and upbeat style, infused with Afro-fusion and soca influences, resonated with fans everywhere. Its catchy chorus, “Tsamina mina, eh, eh / Waka waka, eh, eh / Tsamina mina zangalewa / This time for Africa,” added to its popularity. The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying its success.
At the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony, Shakira wowed the crowd with her performances of “Waka Waka,” “She Wolf,” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” Fans were eagerly anticipating a new song from her for this year’s World Cup, with rumors circulating online that she would even be performing at the opening ceremony. While it was falsely reported by some outlets that she was scheduled to perform, Shakira was never actually set to appear at the event. Despite not releasing new music, her hit “Waka Waka” has once again resurfaced, solidifying her status as the queen of World Cup music. It remains the only previous official World Cup song to make a splash on the global charts.
Shakira made her first appearance at the World Cup in 2006, where she sang “Hips Don’t Lie” at the closing ceremony in Germany. She later returned to the soccer scene in 2014 for the World Cup in Brazil, releasing the song “La La La” with Carlinhos Brown.
However, it’s impossible to ignore the catchy tune of “Waka Waka”. It will always be remembered as one of the standout World Cup tracks, alongside Ricky Martin’s 1998 hit, “Cup of Life”. Many would agree with a YouTube user who suggested that the world would be a happier place if Shakira were to create all the World Cup songs.
