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For most musicians, seeing one of their songs earn a diamond certification is a career highlight, and the kind of achievement that only comes along once in a lifetime. For Rihanna, it’s becoming a commonplace occurrence…and she’s now scored several new ones in a single day.
The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) reports that four more of Rihanna’s singles have been certified diamond. All of them earned that honor on Friday (May 31), which made it an incredibly exciting day for the superstar.
In America, a song is certified diamond by the RIAA after it has shifted at least 10 million units. That number includes pure sales, as well as streaming equivalents, as listening to tunes on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music has become the go-to way for most people to consume music these days.
One of Rihanna’s new wins even managed to advance beyond diamond status. “Stay” is now an 11-times platinum smash, which means it’s gone diamond…and then earned another platinum plaque on top of that.
Oddly, that honor has been bestowed upon Rihanna and Rihanna alone. The single “Stay” was a duet between the Barbadian pop icon and newcomer Mikky Ekko. The RIAA doesn’t name him alongside the powerhouse, so he doesn’t collect a diamond award as well.
Three more hits from Rihanna have also been certified diamond. “Umbrella,” “Work,” and “Needed Me” have all shifted 10 million equivalent units, according to the RIAA. Like “Stay,” neither “Umbrella” nor “Work” are credited to the main star and her collaborators, as they were on the charts.
“Umbrella” was one of Rihanna’s earliest singles, and it helped make her a household name. A feature from Jay-Z, who collected a Grammy alongside Rihanna for the tune, wasn’t enough for him to be included for this bit of recognition. Drake, who’s named on the Hot 100 No. 1 “Work,” also missed out on another diamond smash this time around.
Rihanna has now scored seven diamond singles throughout her career. She’s already seen her smashes “Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem, “We Found Love” with Calvin Harris, and “Diamonds” all hit that historic mark as well. “Love the Way You Lie” stands out as her biggest single, at least according to certifications. That tune is up to 13-times platinum.
