| "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" | ||||||||
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| Single by Shakira featuring Freshlyground | ||||||||
| from the album Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album | ||||||||
| Released | May 7, 2010 | |||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||||||
| Genre | Pop, world, afro-fusion | |||||||
| Length | 3:22 | |||||||
| Label | Epic | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Shakira, John Hill, Freshlyground, Golden Sounds | |||||||
| Producer | Shakira, John Hill | |||||||
| Shakira chronology | ||||||||
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"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring South African band Freshlyground. It was the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with its Spanish language version, entitled "Waka Waka (Esto es África)". The song was released on May 11, 2010 for digital download, received generally positive critical reception, and became a worldwide hit.
It was included on Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album which was released on May 31, 2010. The K-Mix version of the song was also included on Shakira's seventh studio album, Sale el Sol. "Waka Waka" was performed by Shakira and Freshlyground at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off concert in Soweto on June 10, 2010, and at the final on July 11, 2010. "Waka Waka" has sold more than four million copies worldwide making it the best-selling and the fastest-selling World Cup anthem in the digital age.
Background and composition:
After the song was officially chosen as the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Shakira said: "I am honored that 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' was chosen to be part of the excitement and the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup."
"Waka Waka" was written by Shakira and John Hill and co-produced by Hill. The track, which samples the chorus of "Zangaléwa", features Afro-Colombian instrumentation, Soca beat and South African guitars. The song consists of rhythmical African sounds, and is intended to represent the vitality and energy of the host continent. The song is set in the time signature of common time, with a metronome of 128 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of D major.
Critical reception:
Thankfully, 'Waka Waka' also has a ludicrously catchy chorus cribbed from an old Cameroonian tune and plenty of hip-swingable moments, ensuring it never quite dissolves into an all-out cheese-fest." Indrajit Hazra from Hindustan Times said "Shakira reminded everyone why football and her frenetic rhythms have been a winning team. Waka Waka is the perfect cheering-on song. As far as Shakira goes, her infectious Waka Waka totally works." Martin Caballero of the Boston Herald said that "With its catchy hook and breezy summer vibe, 'Waka Waka' sounds more like a song for a South African tourism advertisement, not the world’s biggest sports event."
Chart performance:
On the issue dated June 26, 2010, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" debuted at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling 57,000 digital downloads in its first week of release.This marked Shakira's second-highest debut on the Hot 100, after "She Wolf" opened at thirty-four in 2009. The following week, the song climbed five places to number thirty-eight. It also debuted at number forty-seven on Hot Latin Songs and number thirty-five on Latin Pop Songs. On the successive week, dated June 26, 2010, it was named Greatest Gainer on both charts, reaching number twenty-six on Hot Latin Songs and number eleven on Latin Pop Songs. It also debuted at number thirty-one on Tropical Songs that week.The song has since reached number two on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs, and number two on Latin Pop Songs. Four months after its release, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies. It has also since become the biggest selling Latin song of the year, selling over 867,000 digital copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan.In Canada, the song debuted at number sixty-five on the Canadian Hot 100. It dropped out of the chart briefly, before re-entering at number seventy-two in the June 19, 2010 issue of Billboard, and was named Best Comeback.The following week, the song climbed almost sixty places to number fourteen.It then climbed a further three places, reaching number eleven. On the European Hot 100 the song debuted at number eighty-eight before eventually reaching number one.
"Waka Waka" debuted at number twenty-three on the Australian Physical Singles Chart on June 14, 2010, and then rose to number six. On June 21, 2010, the song debuted at number thirty-nine on the Australian Top 50 Singles Chart and number thirty-seven on the Top 40 Digital Track Chart. In its third week, "Waka Waka" peaked at number thirty-two. In the the song entered the chart on June 13, 2010 at number thirty-eight, eventually climbing to its peak position of number twenty-one, marking Shakira's ninth top thirty hit in the country. It has so far spent eleven weeks inside the UK top 40. In June 2011, it re-ntered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number fifty-eight. The song also charted in Japan, debuting at number twelve on the Japan Hot 100. On the Spanish Single Charts for the week ending May 16, 2010, the song debuted at number eighteen as the week's strongest entry. Three weeks later, the song topped the chart. On its sixth week in the Spanish Chart, "Waka Waka" was certified Gold for sales of at least 20,000 copies, and was certified Platinum the following week.
The single has become Shakira's longest-running number-one single in Spain, topping the chart for seventeen consecutive weeks. The song sold in excess of 235,000 copies in Spain.
The song debuted on the French Digital Singles Chart at number thirty-one, selling 2,100 downloads. In its second week, the song climbed twenty-nine places, reaching number two with sales of 7,900 copies. In its third week, it topped the chart with sales of almost 10,000 copies, a 26% increase on the week before."Waka Waka" sold a total of 373,068 copies in France in 2010. In Germany, the song sold 750,000 copies and was certified 5xGold, becoming Shakira's most successful single there.
On July 12, 2010, Shakira's official website announced that "Waka Waka" was number-one in all the countries served by the radio network Los 40 Principales, including Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Shakira became the second artist to achieve this feat after Alejandro Sanz.
In India, 300,000 subscribers of Vodafone Essar bought the "Waka Waka" anthem for their mobile phones. It was also the most downloaded song of the year on the Nokia Ovi Music Store.
The single became a worldwide hit, reaching number-one in at least twenty-one different countries including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the World Cup's host country, South Africa.
According to FIFA, "Waka Waka" has sold four million copies worldwide. It is the fastest-selling, as well as the biggest-selling World Cup single of the digital age.
Music video:
The video, available in standard definition as well as in 3D, premiered on June 6, 2010. Football players Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves, Idriss Carlos Kameni, Rafael Márquez and Lionel Messi appear in the video, along with Shakira and Freshlyground. Archive footage from past World Cups is intercut with scenes of celebration and dancing. Brazilians Ronaldo, Denilson and Pelé are highlighted, along with Diego Maradona and the famous penalty miss by Roberto Baggio in 1994 which secured the championship for Brazil. The video was directed by Marcus Raboy. It is the only 3D video to be shown at the World Cup and is also Sony Music's first ever 3D music video.The video is ranked number-one on The Guardian's Viral Video Chart.The video became an international hit with daily views of around three million between June 10 and June 17, 2010. It has since reached over 400 million views on YouTube, becoming the third-most-watched video in the website's history.
Reception:
Kyle Anderson from MTV said that "Joined by Africa fusion band Freshlyground and a bevy of dancers, Shakira rolls through the funky, inspirational tune with her usual blend of jittery energy and engaging charm. It also doesn't hurt that she's an excellent dancer, as are the performers (many of them children) who flank her throughout the clip. The clip is augmented by footage from soccer matches and worldwide World Cup-related celebrations in a number of foreign cities. Though Shakira's performance is excellent, she can't hold a candle to the intensity of World Cup-caliber soccer players, which means that the key scene from "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" is a killer slide tackle." Brian Banks from Music Vice wrote that "The video does a fantastic job of capturing the energy and passion of the World Cup, as so many hopes and dreams fall to the feet of the chosen few. If the hair on your neck is not raised by the football action in this video, then maybe at least your pulse will be raised by the delectable Ms. Shakira." Amy Saeyang Mattox from Gather.com echoed their praise, stating that "It's a wonderfully crisp video and starts off with a soccer scene then there's Shakira singing very uplifting and inspiring lyrics with the main point being that (This time [is] for Africa). The Waka Waka video is very colorful and bright as to be expected from Shakira, a lot of sunny yellows and red are used. Waka Waka (This time for Africa) is a great blend of pop and drums with a dash of sassy sauciness."
Live performances:
Shakira and Freshlyground performed the track at the opening ceremony of the World Cup on June 10, 2010, as well as at the closing ceremony, two hours before the final match began on July 11 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The outfits for Shakira's World cup performances were created by Italian designer Roberto Cavalli. She also performed the song at the United Kingdom's Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2010, during the World Cup competition.[60] Before singing the song, she said, "I just performed this in South Africa and thought it would be appropriate to sing it tonight because ... there is a big match tomorrow which I'm planning to watch in some pub in east London. Let's hear you make some noise for England!" She also performed the song as the opening number of the 2010 Premios Juventud Awards on July 15, 2010, along with her single "Gypsy".
World Cup kick-off:
Shakira and Freshlyground performed the song at FIFA's Kick-Off Concert on June 10, 2010 in Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, along with her singles "She Wolf" and "Hips Don't Lie".For the opening, Shakira took to the stage in a zebra print jumpsuit under a fringe skirt resembling typical African tribal costumes, and wore leather and jeweled bracelets on her arms.Despite criticising Shakira's choice of outfit - " [...] then came Shakira, in an ill-advised Roberto Cavalli outfit that looked like a costume from The Lion King" - in her review , Ann Powers from the Los Angeles Times said "'It's time for Africa,' boomed the voice of the announcer in Johannesburg's Orlando Stadium Thursday, at the climax of the all-star concert kicking off soccer's World Cup. It's time for Shakira! Thursday, her answer to those who've criticized her song was a visual as well as a musical one: She filled the stage with African dancers, singers and musicians, who almost overshadowed her as she performed the song. It was just a symbolic gesture, but a strong one in this evening-long review of pop music’s journey from Africa to every corner of the earth, and back." She added that "Despite her fashion misstep, the Colombian powerhouse made a case for herself with a set that focused on the heavy beats in her own music." Rachel Jacoby from InStyle said that "Shakira [...] stole the show during the finale with a rendition of the World Cup Anthem 'Waka Waka' in a barely-there grass skirt and cut-away top. Goooooal!"
World Cup closing ceremony:
On July 7, 2010, Shakira's official website gave a sneak preview of her final outfit for the World Cup closing ceremony on July 11. The dress differed from the outfit worn at the opening ceremony, consisting of a belly-baring tulle top, embroidered with multicolor pearls and a silk fringed skirt–complete with a floral motif and animalier print. A denim belt embroidered with African style pearls and leather bracelets with floral silk appliqué completed the outfit.
Diane Coetzer from Billboard said that "Shakira's second consecutive performance at the closing ceremony of a FIFA World Cup sparked an ecstatic response from the vuvuzela-blowing crowd crammed into Soweto's Soccer City. The Colombian singer - who also made a star-turn at the first ever FIFA World Cup Kick-Off a month ago (June 10) - wore a day-glo colored Roberto Cavalli outfit as she launched into "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)." Siddharth Saxena from The Times of India said that "in all the riot of colour, light and laser show, Shakira came and swayed to her often heard World Cup anthem. It was all going according to plan, but the show stealer was left for the end of the closing ceremony. A surprise."[73] CBS Sports said "Then came the singing and the dancers, with Colombian star Shakira and Ladysmith Black Mambazo among a colourful cast of thousands singing their hearts out in celebration."
Criticism:
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Shakira responded to the issue of a non-South African singing the song, explaining that:
"The World Cup is about this melting pot, you know, in which so many cultures come together. So when Sony ... asked me to write a song for the World Cup, I decided to bring a little bit of my culture, too, which is attached to Africa through an umbilical cord. I mean, I was raised listening to music that was heavily influenced by African music ... that's how close Colombians are to African culture. So I decided to use a little of Colombian and Afro-Caribbean elements, these chants from Cameroon ... and invite a South African artist to also bring their own flavor to this song. And I thought in that way we could create a song that would be more emblematic of what the world cup spirit is, that spirit of tolerance and integration and that melting pot that South Africa is right now."Some criticism ensued when 12 year old actor Ian Hamrick, who was to be prominently featured in the video alongside Fozzie Bear was cut by the video's editors to a crowd scene.[citation needed] This followed the actor's appearance in the controversial genocide depicting music video for M.I.A.'s "Born Free" where his character is shot in the head at close range. Some commentators speculated this was the reason although Waka Waka's producers responded that Hamrick was always meant to be an extra in the video. Sean Michaels of The Guardian said "For at least one of the redheads terrorised in MIA's Born Free video, the persecution shows no sign of letting up...the stars of this year's World Cup anthem may not wish their audience to be reminded of MIA's ginger genocide". Hamrick said of "Born Free" that he was really “proud to be a part of M.I.A.’s shout-out to the world” because “it was a great chance to tell everyone that bully’s [sic] suck no matter what country you are from."
Track listing and formats:
- Promo CD-Single
- "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" - 3:22
- German, Australian and Italian CD-Single
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (English Version) - 3:23
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (Club Mix) also known as Freemasons Remix - 3:12
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (K-Mix) Digital Download Single
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (K-Mix) - 03:04
- Waka Waka (Esto es África) (K-Mix) Digital Download Single
- Waka Waka (Esto es África) (K-Mix) - 03:04
Charts and certifications:
Weekly charts
Certificates
| Country | Provider | Certification | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA | Gold[117] | ||||
| Austria | IFPI | Platinum[118] | ||||
| Belgium | IFPI | Platinum[119] | ||||
| Denmark | IFPI | 2× Platinum[120] | ||||
| Finland | IFPI | Platinum[121] | ||||
| France | SNEP | Platinum[122] | ||||
| Germany | BVMI | 5× Gold[41] | ||||
| Italy | FIMI | 3× Platinum[123] | ||||
| Spain | PROMUSICAE | 6× Platinum[124] | ||||
| Sweden | IFPI | 3× Platinum[125] | ||||
| Switzerland | IFPI | 3× Platinum[126] | ||||
| United States | RIA | Platinum[21] |
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Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart[127] | 2 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[128] | 2 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[129] | 1 |
| Canadian Hot 100[130] | 59 |
| Danish Singles Chart[131] | 1 |
| French Singles Chart[132] | 1 |
| European Hot 100 Singles[133] | 4 |
| German Singles Chart[134] | 2 |
| German Airplay Chart[135] | 16 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart[136] | 4 |
| Italian Singles Chart[137] | 1 |
| Netherlands Singles Chart[138] | 4 |
| Spanish Singles Chart[139] | 1 |
| Spanish Airplay Chart[140] | 16 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[141] | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[142] | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart[143] | 141 |
| US Latin Songs[144] | 29 |
| Chart (2011) | Position |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[145] | 69 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[146] | 41 |
| France (SNEP)[147] | 44 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart[148] | 58 |
| Spanish Singles Chart[149] | 30 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[150] | 33 |
Chart precession and succession:
Release history:
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| France[151] | May 7, 2010 | /Digital download | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Austria[152] | May 11, 2010 | ||
| Belgium[153] | |||
| Denmark[154] | |||
| Finland[155] | |||
| Italy[156] | |||
| Netherlands[157] | |||
| Norway[158] | |||
| Portugal[159] | |||
| Spain[160] | |||
| Sweden[161] | |||
| Switzerland[162] | |||
| United States[163] | |||
| United Kingdom[11] | May 31, 2010 | ||
| United Kingdom[45] | June 17, 2010 | Airplay/radio (Pop Mix Version) | |
| France[164] | July 19, 2010 | CD single |
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