South Africans obviously think “Waka Waka,” the World Cup 2010 official song is the best anthem of all time. Now it’s been confirmed by the world on twitter.
From Europe to the US and even in Brazil, Twitter proclaimed “Waka Waka” the best World Cup official anthem of all time. Like Brazil’s ”We Are One (Ole Ola),” “Waka Waka” initially attracted opposition from the host nation, who thought it unfair that its shine was being usurped by the global star instead of one of its own. But by the opening ceremony, South Africans had got into the spirit, and they and soccer fans all over were learning the dance moves and chanting the lyrics.
Shakira had done the anthem justice.
What makes “Waka Waka” superior is that it captured the exuberance of South Africans, and Africa as a whole, in hosting the World Cup for the first time. And the anthem also had heart—speaking to the struggles of the continent (as much as pop music can) and its fighting spirit—“Today’s your day… You paved the way. Believe it.” That energy and excitement was evident at the stadium during the opening ceremony on June 11th as well. When Shakira took the stage, she was surrounded by dancers, backed by a choir of singers, even before the local band Freshlyground came out. That vision at Soccer City stadium carried the message of communal sprit that South Africa wanted to convey to the world: this was Africa’s time to shine.
In the four years since it was uploaded to YouTube, the official “Waka Waka” video has had close to 690 million views and the opening ceremony performance about 2,000. This is why, according to Twitter, “Waka Waka” will always reign supreme: