Usher’s iconic discography has received over 30 new certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The R&B superstar’s latest RIAA awards include plaques for albums, singles, and fan-favorite deep cuts.
His third album, 8701, has been upped to 5x platinum with over five million equivalent units sold since its release on Aug. 7, 2001.
The album’s Grammy-winning lead single, “U Remind Me,” is now 2x platinum, and its follow-up, “U Got It Bad,” is certified 5x platinum. “U Don’t Have to Call,” another Grammy-winning single (Best Male R&B Vocal Performance), is certified platinum.
Usher’s groundbreaking fourth album, Confessions, is now 14x platinum with over 14 million equivalent units sold since March 23, 2004.
The album, which reached diamond in November 2008, remains his highest certified project to date. “Yeah!” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris is 13x platinum, marking Usher’s first diamond-selling single.
The crunk&b song spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify.
The song won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005, along with Confessions (Best R&B Album) and “My Boo” with Alicia Keys (Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals).
Here is a breakdown of more songs from Confessions that have received a new RIAA award:
- “Burn” (4x platinum, 4 million units sold)
- “Confessions Pt. II” (3x platinum, 3 million units sold)
- “Caught Up” (platinum, 1 million units sold)
- “Superstar” (platinum, 1 million units sold)
- “That’s What It’s Made For” (gold, 500,000 units sold)
- “Can U Handle It?” (gold, 500,000 units sold)
Usher’s fifth album, Here I Stand, is certified 2x platinum with two million equivalent units sold since May 27, 2008.
Here is a breakdown of the songs from Here I Stand with new RIAA certifications:
- “Love In This Club” featuring Young Jeezy (5x platinum, 5 million units sold)
- “Love in This Club, Pt. II” featuring Beyoncé and Lil Wayne (platinum, 1 million units sold)
- “Trading Places” (platinum, 1 million units sold)
- “Moving Mountains” (platinum, 1 million units sold)
Raymond v. Raymond, Usher’s Grammy-winning sixth studio album, is certified 3x platinum with more than three million equivalent units sold. His smash hit “OMG” featuring will.i.am. is now 8x platinum with eight million equivalent units sold.
Here is a breakdown of other songs from Raymond v. Raymond with new RIAA awards:
- “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love” featuring Pitbull (8x platinum, 8 million units sold)
- “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” (2x platinum, 2 million units sold)
- “There Goes My Baby” (2x platinum, 2 million units sold)
- “Lil Freak” featuring Nicki Minaj (platinum, 1 million units sold)
- “Papers” (gold, 500,000 units sold)
“Hot Tottie” featuring Jay-Z, which appears on Usher’s Versus EP and the expanded edition of Raymond v. Raymond, is now certified gold.
In a 2023 interview with Rated R&B, producer Polow Da Don revealed the song was intended for Keri Hilson after Usher didn’t use it. “He kind of freestyled that whole hook and first verse. Me and Ester Dean took it and finished the rest of the song,” Polow Da Don exclusively told Rated R&B. “What’s crazy is it’s one of the tracks he didn’t use. He overlooked it. About a year later, I was working on Keri [Hilson’s] next album.”
Polow continued, “I was going to use it for her — Keri featuring Usher — because I always loved it. I sent it to Usher’s A&R. I was like, ‘Y’all need to do this clearance for Usher.’ He’s like, ‘Oh man, I just played it in the office. The whole office ran down here into my office. We got to keep that record.’ I said, ‘Man, I’ve been telling y’all about this one for a year; y’all slept on this. I need it for Keri.'” (Read more about the song’s journey and all the artists who wanted it here.)
Okay, now back to Usher’s certifications. His experimental seventh album, Looking 4 Myself, is officially platinum.
The Max Martin and Shellback-produced “Scream” is now 3x platinum with three million equivalent units sold. The Rick Ross-assisted banger “Lemme See,” co-written by Eric Bellinger, is certified platinum.
Hard II Love, Usher’s eighth studio offering, is now gold. “Rivals” featuring Future, the album’s fourth and final single, is also certified gold and the Grammy-nominated “Good Kisser.”
The latter track, which appears on the Japanese version of Hard II Love, was originally the first single from Usher’s scrapped album, Flawed.
“I Don’t Mind” featuring Juicy J, another scrapped single, is certified 4x platinum with four million units sold.
Last but certainly not least, Usher’s 2020 single “Bad Habits” is certified gold. The song, produced by Pierre Medor and Lxrd Rossi, peaked at No. 1 at R&B radio and on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.
Usher’s new RIAA awards come on the heels of his ninth album, Coming Home, released Feb. 9 via his mega imprint in partnership with Larry Jackson’s gamma.
“COMING HOME is an ode to going back to your roots, whatever or wherever that may be,” explained Usher. “I’m COMING HOME to where I’m comfortable in being exactly who I am right now. My hope is that you identify with the new album no matter where you are or what you’re going through, too.”
The RIAA certifications also arrive just in time for his highly anticipated performance at Apple Music’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show (Feb. 11) in Las Vegas.
Later this summer, Usher will embark on his Past Present Future Tour.
