Chris Brown‘s collection of RIAA certifications continues to grow.
The global R&B star has earned over a half-dozen new awards from the Recording Industry Association of America. His self-titled debut album advances to 4x platinum, with over four million copies sold in the U.S. It now ties Brown’s 2007 album, Exclusive, for his highest-certified album.
Several songs from Chris Brown have also received new certifications. His debut single “Run It!” featuring Juelz Santana is now certified 5x platinum, with five million units sold.
Coming in right after that is the album’s second single, “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” now 4x platinum. Meanwhile, the bittersweet “Say Goodbye” is 3x platinum, “Gimme That” is 2x platinum and “Poppin'” is now platinum.
A couple of fan-favorites have earned new RIAA awards, including “Ain’t No Way” and “Ya Man Ain’t Me,” which are both now gold (500,000 units sold).
Aside from his debut era, Brown has also scored a 4x platinum plaque for his collaboration with Metro Boomin and Future, “Superheroes (Heroes & Villains).”
Brown’s new RIAA awards come on the heels of the 20th anniversary of his debut album, released Nov. 29, 2005.
Chris Brown debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 154,000 copies in the first week. The album earned Brown his first two Grammy nominations, including the coveted Best New Artist and Best Contemporary R&B Album.
In a rare interview with Rated R&B in 2020, Harvey Mason Jr., esteemed songwriter, producer, and CEO of the Recording Academy, reflected on working on “Ya Man Ain’t Me.”
“I think that is one of the first couple of songs we wrote for Chris. He was like 15 when we started working with him. He was instantly recognized by me and my partner at the time, as somebody that was a huge standout superstar. He just had the charisma and unique sound. [He] was such a great dancer, we wanted to give him a vehicle that showcased all of that and how special he was as a singer and a performer,” said Mason.
He continued, “Musically and production-wise, it was something to showcase this emerging superstar that we felt was going to have such a great career.”
This summer, Brown celebrated his decade-spanning career on his Breezy Bowl XX Stadium World Tour.
According to Billboard, Breezy Bowl XX grossed $295.5 million and sold 1.983 million tickets over its 49 shows. It is now Brown’s highest-grossing tour of his career.
Keeping the celebration going, Brown has issued his debut album on vinyl for the first time. The limited-edition pressing includes all the album’s original tracks. Get the vinyl at chrisbrownworldstore.com.
Chris Brown’s New RIAA Certifications
- Chris Brown, 4x platinum (4 million units sold)
- “Run It!” featuring Juelz Santana, 5x platinum
- “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” 4x platinum
- “Superheroes (Heroes & Villains),” Metro Boomin with Future & Chris Brown, 4x platinum
- “Say Goodbye,” 3x platinum
- “Gimme That,” 2x platinum
- “Poppin’,” platinum
- “Ain’t No Way,” gold (500,000 units sold)
- “Ya Man Ain’t Me,” gold
