I'm from Mexico, and I've been trying to figure this out since the song came out.
The section from 1:26 to 1:42 of Shakira & Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" sounds extremely familiar to me, but not because of the melody, chords, instrumental, or production.
I'm referring only to the vocal rhythm, phrasing, cadence, and pauses in this part:
The way it's sung immediately reminds me of another song, probably by a female artist.
My first impression is that it's from around 2000–2015, most likely mainstream pop. The artist could be someone like:
- Shakira
- Rihanna
- Jennifer Lopez
- Madonna
- Britney Spears
- Katy Perry
- Kesha
...or another similar pop artist from that era.
I also have the feeling it was a song that was played a lot on MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, VH1, or mainstream radio, so it was probably a big international hit.
I've searched Reddit, forums, and YouTube comments, but I haven't found an answer.
What's interesting is that in Spanish-language comments, other people have also told me that this exact section reminds them of another song, but they can't identify which one either. So it doesn't seem to be just me.
Again, I'm not looking for songs with similar melodies or instrumentals. I'm looking for a song with almost the same vocal cadence and rhythmic phrasing.
Does this remind anyone of a specific song?
If possible, please listen to the 1:26–1:42 section before answering.