Burna Boy earns new gold and platinum certifications in France

‘Alone’, off the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  –  Music From and Inspired By soundtrack is now certified gold after crossing 15 million digital streams. The movie soundtrack was released in November last year via Roc Nation Records/Def Jam Recordings/Hollywood Records. It features other African stars like Nigeria’s Rema, Ckay, Tems, Fireboy DML, and South Africa’s DBN Gogo, Sino Msolo, Kamo Mphela, Young Stunna and Busiswa.

On the other hand, ‘Gbona’ (2019), off Burna Boy’s African Giant album, is now a platinum record after amassing 30 million streams. 

The achievements add to a growing list of digital triumphs by the Grammy winner, who went gold in France for his sixth studio album, Love, Damini, earlier this month. In July last year, SNEP confirmed that Burna Boy’s 2019 hit ‘On The Low’ had been officially certified diamond in France more than two years after its release.

On 24 October in Lagos, Nigerian charts company TurnTable Charts presented the singer with 11 plaques. The certifications presented to him were:

1. Love Damini – 5x Platinum (highest certified album in Nigerian history)
2. Sungba (Remix) – 4x Platinum (highest certified single in Nigerian history)
3. Last Last – 3x Platinum
4. Common Person – 3x Platinum
5. For My Hand – 2x Platinum
6. It’s Plenty – 2x Platinum
7. B. D'OR – Platinum
8. Second Sermon (Remix) – Platinum
9. I Told Them – Platinum
10. Different Size – Platinum
11. Alone – Gold

Burna Boy’s latest feats arrive on the heels of his nomination alongside Rema, Wizkid, and Tems, as well as Cameroonian singer Libianca in the Top Afrobeats Artist category at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards slated to air on 19 November.

It also follows new certifications by fellow Afrobeats singers Davido and Tems in Canada days ago. ‘Unavailable’, taken off Davido’s fourth studio album Timeless, went gold after selling over 40 000 units in the North American country, while his 2017 hit ‘Fall’ earned platinum certification after selling over 80 000. Tems secured new gold certification with new songs, namely ‘Found’, ‘Damages’, ‘Free Mind’ and ‘Higher’. The feat makes her the most certified Nigerian female artist in the country.

In September, Burna Boy became the first Afrobeats artist to secure a UK No 1 chart position with I Told Them, according to the Official Charts Company, responsible for compiling official music charts in the UK.

“This right here, this means more to me than any of you can imagine because where I come from is a colony of this place,” Burna Boy said. “For me to be here today with the No 1, that just tells you that anything is possible.”