Shatta Wale and Beyoncé collab goes gold in the US

The record, which was certified on 8 August, marks the first RIAA Gold certification for Shatta Wale. He joins fellow Ghanaian singer Fuse ODG as the recipients of the accolade. Fuse ODG received an RIAA Gold certification for his collaboration with Major Lazer and Nyla (Brick & Lace) on the remix of ‘Light It Up’.

Released on Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records, ‘Already’ also guests American electronic dance music DJ trio Major Lazer. It is taken from the American singer’s 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, which serves as the soundtrack for the remake of The Lion King film. Other top African acts on the project include Wizkid, Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Tekno, Yemi Alade, Busiswa and Salatiel.

A dance-ready Afrobeats offering, ‘Already’ celebrates authentic culture and identity, its attendant video functioning as an intersection between the pop idioms of both the US and Africa.

In 2020, ‘Already’, which has racked up more than 57 million YouTube views since its release, was nominated for the Best Dance Performance Award at the Soul Train Music Awards in the US.

Meanwhile, Shatta Wale is preparing for the release of his new album Gift of God. The project was scheduled to drop two years ago, but the singer delayed the release due to COVID-19 pandemic.