Colombian singer, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known mononymously as Shakira has expressed her admiration for Afrofusion star Burna Boy and the Afrobeats genre.

Shakira, 47, shared her thoughts during a recent cover shoot with Rolling Stone, where she discussed her lifestyle recommendations and musical influences.

Afrobeats has emerged as one of Africa’s most significant cultural exports in recent years.

In 2023, the genre reached global prominence, with top Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy hosting some of the most successful concerts worldwide.

During the interview, the “Waka Waka” hitmaker described her music style as “eclectic, honest, and real,” noting her particular fondness for Afrobeats.

Shakira singled out Burna Boy as her favorite artist, stating that she listens to his songs frequently.

Shakira also mentioned her appreciation for Tyla, the rising South African singer.

“If I could explain my taste of music in three words I would say eclectic, honest, and real. In my car, whether I am driving at night, I love anything Afrobeats. I like Tyla, I like Burna Boy, anything Afrobeats but I love Burna very great,” she said.

Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. She began to gain fame in Hispanic countries with her albums ‘Pies Descalzos’ in 1995 and ‘Dónde Están los Ladrones?’ in 1998.

Her single ‘Whenever, Wherever’ broke into the English-language market with her fifth album, ‘Laundry Service,’ in 2001, selling over 13 million copies worldwide.

The Colombian star married Gerard Piqué, a former FC Barcelona defender, in 2011, and they have two children together.

In June 2022, Shakira and the ex-footballer announced their breakup in a joint statement.

Earlier this year, Shakira was looking at a potential eight-year jail sentence as she faced a trial over her Spanish tax bills from 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors claimed that the singer defrauded Spanish revenues of €14.5 million. Shakira says this can’t be the case, as she didn’t move to Spain until 2015. 

The planned three-week trial never happened, as Shakira agreed to pay a fine to the tune of around €7.8 million; this was on top of the €17.45 million already paid to Spain for her time there. 

Shakira now lives in Miami with her two children. In 2016, as part of an ongoing crackdown on celebrity tax evasion, Piqué was convicted of tax fraud; he paid €2.1 million to settle the debt, only to have the conviction overturned by Spain’s Supreme Court.