Wednesday, 24 June

‘Dai Dai’ pushes Burna Boy to new Billboard milestone

Entertainment
Shakira (L) and Burna Boy (R) collaborated on Dai Dai for the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by Mexico, United States, and Canada

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar and Grammy Award winner, Burna Boy, has set a new record as the African artiste with the highest number of appearances on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 chart.

The singer, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, moved ahead of fellow Nigerian star Tems after securing his ninth entry on the prestigious chart. The achievement was announced by Burna Boy on his social media platforms on Tuesday, where he described the milestone as a major moment in his music career.

Before this latest feat, Burna Boy and Tems were tied with eight Billboard Hot 100 entries each. However, Burna Boy claimed the record through his collaboration with Colombian music icon Shakira on “Dai Dai,” the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The track debuted at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Burna Boy a total of nine chart entries—the highest ever recorded by an African artiste. The song gained additional attention after Burna Boy and Shakira performed it during the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

The accomplishment places Burna Boy ahead of Tems, who now ranks second among African artistes with the most Billboard Hot 100 appearances.

In another landmark achievement, the “Last Last” hitmaker has become the first African musician to chart at least one song on the Billboard Hot 100 in six consecutive years.

Some of Burna Boy’s Billboard Hot 100 entries include “Loved By You” (2021), “Last Last” (2022), “Sitting On Top of the World” and “Talibans II” (2023), “Just Like Me” and “We Pray” (2024), “WGFT” (2025), and “Only You” and “Dai Dai” (2026).

The Afrobeats star has also reached a new personal milestone on Spotify, surpassing 40 million monthly listeners for the first time in his career. In addition, he has earned multiple nominations ahead of the 2026 Grammy Awards, further cementing his position as one of Africa’s most successful global music exports.

Source: classfmonline.com/Rebecca Kekeli Nyame