Seven Nigerian Afrobeats Songs with the RIAA Gold Plaque
We love the growth of Afrobeats in the Nigerian music industry and we are more proud of the achievements recorded by both established, rising and upcoming artistes.
While Nigerian music got international accolades in the past, these moments were usually few and filled with aspirations by ambitious artistes. Recently, there’s been a shift in the narrative. From breaking global charts to selling out arenas abroad, clinching numerous prestigious awards such as the Grammys as well as collaborating with several international acts, Nigerian music has recorded huge success.
We recognize the efforts of Nigerian artistes leading the change in the Nigerian music scene and we have put together, seven songs that have been certified Gold in the US.
What a Gold Certification means
According to the Recording Industry Association of America – the RIAA, which serves as an advocate for music recorded or distributed in the United States, the Gold certification is awarded to artistes whose single or album has sold at least 500,000 units whether as records, tapes or compact discs.
Afrobeats stars like Davido, Burna Boy and Wizkid have all had their singles/albums certified Gold in the US. Here’s a breakdown.
Fall- Davido, 2020
Davido came through with his enthralling single “Fall,” off his album titled “A Good Time”. “Fall” topped major music charts, including being on the top 10 records on Shazam New York, the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history, and the first Afrobeat to be certified Gold in the U.S. Interestingly, Fall’s Gold certification came almost a year before “If,” Davido’s equally Gold-certified single which marked a quickening for the Gold certification of more Nigerian songs.
Davido is one of the most celebrated artistes in the Nigerian music industry and a force to reckon with.
Come Closer- Wizkid ft Drake, 2020
Starboy Wizkid has astounded us with achievements of diverse proportions. The artiste’s Ojuelegba song released in 2014, evidently contributed to his global rise despite being sung in the Yoruba Language, his mother tongue. Ojuelegba, which chronicled his childhood and rise to fame, caught the attention of British rapper Skepta who went ahead to play it for American rap star, Drake. The rest is history. This followed a collaboration on Wizkid’s Come Closer. Come Closer was produced by the legendary Sarz and was released in March 2017. In September 2020, it was certified Gold in the US, after selling 500, 000 units.
If- Davido, 2021
“If” is the 5th track off Davido’s “A Good Time” album. The single became certified Diamond in February 2018 after selling 200,000 copies. In the US, it got a Gold certification on the 12th of February 2021.
Ye- Burna Boy, 2021
Grammy winner Burna Boy had his single “Ye” certified Gold in the US on the 5th of May 2021. Ye, off the singer’s album “Outside”, was the fastest Nigerian song to reach this height after its release in 2018. The song received the Headies Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Single amongst many other accolades.
Essence- Wizkid ft Tems; 2021
The groundbreaking single “Essence,” off Wizkid’s “Made In Lagos” album is a highly celebrated record in Nigeria, the US and other parts of the world. The Tems-featured single was tagged the song of the summer in 2021 by Canadian star Justin Bieber including a collab with him. For some, it was the song of the year. Asides from topping Billboard charts, Essence was nominated at the 64th Grammys for the award of Best Global Music Performance. Barely a year after its release, Essence became the fastest African song to be certified Gold in the US, after selling 500,000 units to cinch the award on the 2nd of September 2021. Interestingly, on the 4th of October 2021, Essence officially hit the sale of a million units and went Platinum in the United States. 3rd of March saw the single certified Double Platinum, after making sales up to 2 million units, and in the process, becoming the first Nigerian song to hit that milestone. This is so major!
Do Like That- Korede Bello, 2021
Korede Bello’s RnB, Pop and Dancehall hit, Do Like That was produced by Altims. The song was released in September 2016, two years after he was signed to one of the prominent record labels in Nigeria, Mavin Music. Do Like That was certified Gold on the 20th of September, 2021. Currently, the music video has over 125 million streams on YouTube and 68 million streams on Spotify.
Love Nwantiti- CKay, 2022
Ckay’s Tiktok sensation Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) is said to be the biggest African song. The single was released in 2019 off CKay’s EP, CKay the first, by Chocolate City through American multinational entertainment company, Warner Music Group. In 2021 the song became a global hit with various DJ versions, international remixes and TikTok challenges. On the 12th of June, 2022 Love Nwantiti became Gold certified in the US. Presently, the song shines as the most certified African record, going Platinum in the US with a million units sold, Platinum in the UK with 600,000 units, Gold in Germany with 200,000 units certified by their Federal Music Industry Association; Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Love Nnwantiti is also two-time Platinum in Portugal at 20,000 units and is double Platinum in Canada at 160,000 units. Additionally, the song has bagged Platinum certifications from music associations in France, Austria, Italy, and New Zealand, among several others.