![]() The aforementioned Freshlyground freshens up the song’s middle, although the track gets points off for immediately undercutting that with a cringe-inducing “we are all Africa” message. ![]() But because it is Shakira, and because of the inclusion of South African group Freshlyground, it still ends up being a banger that we still can’t get out of our collective heads 8 years later. Given how Shakira’s lyrics are sometimes absurd in the best ways, it’s disappointing that such a big song was shackled to such formulaic songwriting. ![]() Too much was done within the lyrics to boost up Africa as a continent that the songwriters - Shakira herself, alongside John Hill and Cameroonian group Golden Sounds - forgot to make it about the World Cup. That it has racked up a staggering 1.8 billion views on YouTube is the best testament to the power of the World Cup marketing machine, even if the song itself is one of the least soccer-sounding songs in the history of the tournament. It’s strange to remember how massive “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” was when it was released.
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