After the performance at the stadium, the expected happened. With the whole world watching and singing along with Dayo and Luna, the numbers skyrocketed.

The song, which had been sliding down the charts, shot right back up. Within a week, it climbed back into the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. In fact, it held the #1 spot in over 30 countries, from Brazil to South Africa to France. This was the effect of having a song as the World Cup anthem.

Spotify – 92.6 million streams (+37.2M)

Apple Music – #1 in 62 countries (+14)

YouTube – 128.4 million views (+83.2M)

Audiomack – 24.3 million streams (+8.6M)

Billboard Global 200 – "Hall of Fame," which had slipped to #12, surged back up to #3 (+9 spots)

The revival shocked the industry. One World Cup performance had brought the song back to life in a way no one predicted. Labels across the globe were stunned, and the press called it "the performance of the year."

But while the world buzzed, Dayo wanted space. He needed a breather before pushing into the Global Competition. So, after calling home to let his family know he'd be gone for a week, he slipped out of the spotlight because he knew that after this there wouldn't be breaks like this once the raffles and competition started.

He and Luna left Morocco's capital with a private driver and guide, deciding to take a short vacation before the grind started again.

They walked through busy markets filled with spices and fabrics, tried tagine in small family restaurants, and moved through the old streets where kids ran around laughing. People noticed them here and there, but Morocco had a way of letting even famous faces blend into the crowd.

On their third evening, their guide suggested a quiet spot — Achakar Beach, just outside Tangier. The sun was dropping low, the waves calm, and groups of locals were scattered across the sand, eating, playing music, and talking.

Dayo and Luna settled near one group. A few young men strummed guitar and sang in Arabic, their voices warm and flowing with the sea breeze. The evening scene could be described with one word: breathtaking. Luna listened, eyes wide, even though she didn't understand a word.

"They sound beautiful," she whispered to Dayo.

He smiled. "They do. They're singing about home and love — simple things."

Luna blinked. "Wait… you understood that?"

"Yeah," Dayo said casually. "I know how to speak a little Arabic."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "You're full of surprises."

He chuckled. "Hehe, you have no idea."

The locals noticed them listening and waved them to join, to which they concurred. Plates of food were passed around — bread, olives, grilled fish fresh from the sea. Some spoke a little English, enough to joke and welcome them warmly. Nobody seemed shocked by Luna, but they were curious about Dayo.

"You speak Arabic?" one of them asked.

"A little," Dayo replied modestly.

But then, one of the men grinned. "You sing? Try?"

Luna nudged him. "Go on. Show them."

Dayo laughed but agreed. He took the oud carefully, plucked a few strings, and started singing. Not in English — in Arabic.

"Habibi, ya qalbi… la tansa al-hubb"

("My love, my heart… don't forget love.")

The chatter died instantly. Heads turned. Luna's mouth fell open as Dayo's voice rolled smoothly in the foreign tongue. She was shocked; she thought he said he could only speak a little. How was this even possible?

He didn't just pronounce the words correctly — he sang them with emotion, flowed with the notes like someone born into the culture.

A whole three minutes of no one talking, just the area quiet and Dayo's voice echoing through the night.

One of the men leaned forward, stunned. "Ṣawtak jamīl jiddan," he said softly — "Your voice is very beautiful."

The group clapped and cheered. Luna joined in, her eyes still fixed on him with disbelief.

Among them was Youssef Amari, a well-known Moroccan singer who had built his career mixing traditional Arabic music with modern pop. Tonight, he just came to relax with friends. But hearing Dayo shook him. Even he struggled with phrasing that Dayo had carried so naturally.

When Dayo finished, Youssef clapped the loudest, his eyes locked on him.

"That was incredible," Youssef said in English, his voice full of respect. "Not many can sing like that — not even here."

Dayo smiled politely. "Thank you. Music is music. Language is just a door."

Youssef smiled. "Also, and I am sure that I haven't heard this song before, is it an original?"

Dayo smiled and nodded. "Yes."

This shocked all of them. How could someone who is not connected with Arabic and doesn't look like one sing an original this beautiful? Even Youssef was starting to doubt.

It wasn't until one of the younger guys whispered something in Arabic that Youssef's eyes widened. He leaned closer, looking at Dayo, then at Luna, with his mouth wide open as he finally saw their faces clearly.

"Wait…" he muttered, switching back to English. "You… you're JD. And you—" he pointed at Luna, his voice rising with excitement, "you're Luna. From the stadium! You performed at The World Cup!"

The group froze, then erupted into shocked laughter and chatter. A few pulled out their phones, replaying clips from the opening ceremony just to confirm their guess.

Youssef shook his head, still amazed by everything. "I watched you both perform just days ago, in front of the world. And now here you are, sitting on this beach, singing in our language… This is really amazing, and you are acting pretty normal."

Dayo chuckled, a little embarrassed that he was caught he just wanted to spend some normal time but it seems that he couldnt stop himself when given a chance to perform. "Sometimes it's nice to just be normal."

"Normal?" Youssef grinned. "Trust me, there's nothing normal about what I just heard."

While Youssef and Dayo were having this conversation, some of the younger men were already posting on their social media about what was occurring.

The night carried on with food, laughter, and music. But now, there was a new energy. People weren't just enjoying the moment — they were looking at Dayo differently, realizing they were watching something special.

And for Dayo, sitting by the fire with Luna by his side, the realization hit him too. His name was already global. But tonight, on this beach, he felt it in a whole new way.

And it brought him joy, and he muttered, "Global Competition, here I come."

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