On November 30, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) took to press to announce ‘Break My Soul,’ the chart-topping lead single from Beyonce‘s seventh solo studio album, ‘Renaissance,‘ had crossed its threshold for Platinum certification. This means it’s sold the equivalent of 1 million copies in the United States.
What’s more, the LP itself – which also houses the hits ‘Cuff It,’ ‘Church Girl,’ and others – is similarly certified.
And while the feat brought with it a number of noteworthy achievements, a clear standout is the exclusive club the diva is now part of thanks to the arrival of the new shiny plaques.
Details inside.
Before November 30, only 8 female acts in the history of recorded music could boast having seen their first seven studio albums certified Platinum or higher: Madonna, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion*, Mary J. Blige, P!nk, Britney Spears, and Rihanna.
With the recent ascension of ‘Renaissance,’ Bey is now a part of this group of female hitmakers.
The win comes after the megastar watched her first six studio albums – ‘Dangerously in Love’ (6x Platinum), ‘BDay‘ (5x Platinum), ‘I Am Sasha Fierce’ (6x Platinum), ‘4‘ (4x Platinum), ‘Beyonce‘ (5x Platinum), ‘Lemonade‘ (3x Platinum) – soar past the 1 million sales mark and beyond.
And, if enduring anticipation for the visuals attached Bey’s latest project is any indication, she’ll soon be part of the even more exclusive group of female hitmakers who saw their first seven albums hit multi-Platinum status.
As of time reported, that list only features Madonna, Swift, and Carey.
It’s worth noting that Bey stands alone as the only act in history – male or female – to see her first seven studio albums be certified Platinum and debut at #1 on the Billboard 200.