Davido’s “If” Certified Gold in the USA, a Laudable Feat in the History of Afrobeats
Multi-award winning Afrobeats and Afropop singer, David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has scored another major feat with the Gold certification of his 2019 Afrobeats solo single, “If” in the United States of America by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This means that the single has successfully sold over 500,000 units in the U.S.
Information on this amazing accomplishment was disclosed via Davido’s official Instagram and Twitter accounts. This is coming in two years after the release of the hit single “If” which appeared on several music charts.
Remarkably, Davido’s ‘If’ is not his first single to be certified Gold in the U.S. On the 28th of May 2020, Davido’s “Fall” received an RIAA Gold plaque in the U.S., making him the first African artist to achieve this feat. Fall became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard’s history and even after several years of release, it continues to enjoy airtime and recognition in Africa and across the globe.
Davido became popular after releasing ‘Dami Duro’, the second single from his debut studio album, Omo Baba Olowo (2012). In the same year, he won the Next Rated award at The Headies. In January 2016, Davido signed a record deal with Sony Music and founded the record label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) shortly afterwards.
Some of his awards and recognitions include Best Newcomer Award in 2012, Best International Act: Africa in 2014, Best Male West Africa, 2014, Artist of the Year 2014, and Artiste of the Year, 2018 amongst others.
Davido is part of a surging generation of Afrobeats artists who have elevated the African dance-pop genre on to the global stage. His songs continue to put Africa on a global map, making him one of the continent’s biggest pop stars.