The Weeknd’s ‘Starboy’ And ‘Blinding Lights’ Receive Diamond Certifications
Two of the artist’s biggest hits have moved over 10 million units.
The Weeknd has earned not one, but two Diamond certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his songs “Starboy” and “Blinding Lights.” The rare certification denotes that a song has moved (at least) ten million units, between a digital purchase or 150 streams.
“Starboy,” a collaboration with Daft Punk, was released in 2016 and served as the title track for his third studio album. It would also go on to be The Weekend’s third No.1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (following “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face”). As for his 2019 hit, “Blinding Lights,” the synth-forward pop track also would top the chart, before spending four weeks in the spot.
While these two songs aren’t The Weeknd’s first to reach Diamond status (he previously achieved the RIAA certification with “The Hills” in March 2020), he is one of only a few artists to have three in total. Others in the elite club include Justin Bieber (“Baby,” “Despacito [Remix],” and “Sorry”), Katy Perry (“Roar,” “Firework,” and “Dark Horse”), Ed Sheeran (“Shape of You,” “Thinking Out Loud,” and “Perfect”), and Imagine Dragons (“Radioactive,” “Demons,” and “Believer”).
The Weekend (aka Abel Tesfaye) has had an eventful 2002 thus far. At the beginning of the week, he unveiled a music video for his single “Out of Time,” featuring Jim Carrey and Squid Game star HoYeon Jung. Today, it was announced that Tesfaye will headline the Sunday night slot at Coachella, alongside Swedish House Mafia. The collaborative performance will take place over both weekends of the festival.
In January, The Weeknd released his critically-acclaimed fifth studio album, Dawn FM. The record, which featured production from Tesfaye’s frequent collaborator, Oneohtrix Point Never, reached No.1 in ten countries.
