On the 3rd of June, FIFA announced a global lineup of artists for the World Cup album. Much to our delight, 4 Nigerian artists made the list, making Nigeria the African country with the most artists in the FIFA World Cup album lineup. The album, released on the 5th of June, features Burna Boy with Shakira; Ayra with Latto; Rema with LISA and Anitta; and Davido with Major Lazer and Nelly Furtado.
In this article, we discuss the Nigerian artists and their contributions to the global album.
- Burna Boy
Even before its release, Burna Boy’s feature with Shakira was anticipated, with people wondering if it had the potential to surpass Shakira’s own song “Waka Waka” in the global success it attained. In less than a month since its release, the song is hailed as one of the best on the album, showcasing Burna Boy’s talent and the immaculate artistry that represents Nigeria globally. The Grammy winner has made Afrobeats a globally recognised genre and is one of the most notable names in the industry, which makes it clear why he was included on the album for the FIFA World Cup.
- Ayra Starr
Ayra Starr’s work with Global Citizen started in 2023, so when she was included in the lineup for the FIFA album, an organisation that partners with Global Citizen on charity initiatives, we were not so shocked. However, this feat shows how big a superstar Ayra Starr is and how much impact she is having on the globalisation of Afrobeats. The 23-year-old pop star has had an amazing run in her career, which started just 5 years ago, and her contribution to the FIFA album shows how much Afrobeat’s popularity has grown beyond the “Big 3” artists. The song for the FIFA World Cup titled “Show Me” has Ayra’s natural flair and the upbeat rapping of African American artist Latto, a collaboration that fully paints FIFA’s wish for global unity with the World Cup.
- Rema
Rema’s artistry and the virality of his song “Calm Down” had already endeared him to the Asian audience, who enjoyed his tonal reach, which made his collaboration with Asian popstar LISA and Brazilian star Anitta an exciting one. The trio managed to bring in their own personal flair and genre diversity on the song titled “Goals,” which, going by Rema’s track record as an artist, is not unexpected but was still impressive. The presence of a song that acknowledges major global markets like Asia, Africa, and South America helps convey the unity for which the FIFA World Cup was created for. In addition, Rema’s collaboration with these artists opens a whole new audience for Afrobeat, especially from the Asian audience, which is important with how much Korean pop has slowly become a global trend.
- Davido
Davido is no stranger to global success or the FIFA World Cup, so his participation on the World Cup album was to be expected. The singer’s contribution to the globalisation of Afrobeat cannot be disputed, and, with his status as one of Nigeria’s biggest artists, his participation in a project of this scale only proves how much of an impact he had in making Afrobeat an integral part of global music, especially for African artists. The song titled “No Place Like Home” navigates the pressure put on artists in global stages and sheds a spotlight on Davido’s own struggles in the industry, which mirrors the struggles of the footballers who will be expected to perform and succeed in front of a global audience. The song does a great job of capturing the global unity this album requires, while also addressing the pressure tied to it.
