Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)

Waka Waka's harmony is deliberately simple and repetitive, designed for maximum singalong appeal and danceability. The contrast between the verse's classical minor cadence (i-iv-V-i) and the chorus's Aeolian progression (VI-III-VII-i) provides just enough harmonic variety to maintain interest while keeping the song accessible. The African makossa influence is felt more in the rhythmic treatment of these chords than in the harmony itself, with syncopated guitar patterns and percussion driving the groove over the straightforward chord changes.

In February 2010, Shakira co-wrote and co-produced the song with American record producer John Hill, who had previously collaborated with her on several tracks from her album She Wolf. The song was built around a sample of the 1986 Cameroonian makossa anthem 'Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)' by Golden Sounds, with lyrics encouraging players to aim for goals like soldiers on a battlefield. The South African band Freshlyground were brought in after Hill met with their producer in New York while the band was finishing their album Radio Africa. Hill played them the track, left them alone to add their contributions, and they wrote a bridge and added Southern African musical elements.

Released in May 2010 as the official song of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' fuses Shakira's signature Latin pop vocals with the South African band Freshlyground and a sample from the classic Cameroonian makossa song 'Zangaléwa' by Golden Sounds. With over 4 billion YouTube views and 15 million downloads worldwide, it became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time and the definitive World Cup anthem of the modern era.