Afrobeats artist Burna Boy’s hit song, “Last Last,” now certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on Thursday, making it the fastest song in the history of the genre to reach RIAA platinum and the fastest solo single by an African artist.
The track is the lead single for Burna Boy’s Grammy-nominated album, Love, Damini, which was released in July last year and has gone on to earn its respective accolades. On Tuesday morning, the RIAA announced that the single was certified Platinum. “Last Last” is a sample of Toni Braxton’s famous song “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” Burna Boy refers to Braxton as a “legend” and also reveals that the song made a huge impression on him as a child.
“That song is a big part of my childhood and just growing up,” he said as he also explained that it fit the situation he was trying to explain.
The situation in question appears to be his break up with British-Jamaican artist Stefflon Don following reports that the artist had cheated on her. Despite the back story, the song’s catchy hook saw it quickly becoming famous across the world with its Hot 100 debut at No. 44 shortly after release, and thereafter, it peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart and No. 2 on Billboard’s U.S Rhythmic chart. There was also placement on more than a dozen charts around the world as fans rocked out to the breakup anthem.
The song is already certified Platinum in Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
In the meantime, Love, Damini, which is Burna Boy’s sixth studio album, recently earned the title of the most streamed African album on Spotify, a first for any artist from Africa.
The album surpassed 600 million Spotify streams. The album, co-executive produced by Diddy, also features artists Ladysmith Black Mambazo, J Hus, Vict0ny, Popcaan, Blxst, Kehlani, Ed Sheeran, J Balvin, and DJ Khaled.
The album went on to be nominated for Best Global Music Album at this year’s Grammys but slightly missed out on the win.
“Last Last” certified RIAA platinum in less than 10 months
Burna Boy recently stated that he made more money from “Last Last” than he ever made in his entire career. Indeed, since dropping the single on May 13, 2022, under Atlantic Records, it quickly blew up, thanks in part to it being about his breakup with ex-girlfriend Stefflon Don. The controversy surrounding the split and the catchy vibe of the song quickly propelled it into the mainstream. It took six months to be certified Gold by the RIAA, meaning it sold at least 500,000 units, and another four more months to go Platinum in a few days shy of 10 months after being release.
The impressive run makes it the fastest Afrobeats song to be certified Platinum in the United States, beating Wizkid and Tems hit “Essence,” which was certified Platinum in around two years. Another massive hit in the Afrobeats genre, Rema’s “Calm Down,” reached RIAA platinum status a few days shy of a year, but “Last Last” still reached the covetous status quicker. “Calm Down” was released on February 11, 2022, and was certified platinum on February 2, 2023.
In January, Burna Boy scored his first platinum single in the United States with his 2018 hit, “Ye,” off his album Outside.
