Abuja, Nigeria | NOW THEN DIGITAL — The solo track ‘Love Nwantiti’ by CKay, a Nigerian musician, has achieved a remarkable feat, garnering an eightfold platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
This latest milestone follows the track’s previous fourfold platinum certification, marking a significant stride within approximately a year. Initially featured in CKay’s 2019 EP ‘CKay the First’, the song garnered global acclaim in 2021, catapulting the artist to international prominence.
Debuting on the Billboard Global 200 chart, ‘Love Nwantiti’ solidified CKay’s position as the first Nigerian artist to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify. Additionally, the track earned the distinction of being Shazam’s longest-reigning global No. 1 song of 2021.
Since its inception, ‘Love Nwantiti’ has inspired numerous remixes by various artists, including Joeboy from Nigeria, Kuami Eugene from Ghana, ElGrandeToto from Morocco, and De La Ghetto from the United States.
Recognized as a fixture on TikTok for an extended period, the song is widely acknowledged for its instrumental role in amplifying the global influence of Afrobeats.
Despite CKay’s subsequent releases, such as ‘Emiliana’, ‘Watawi’, and ‘You’, it is ‘Love Nwantiti’ that has unequivocally emerged as the cornerstone of his career.
In September 2022, CKay unveiled his debut album ‘Sad Romance’, comprising 12 tracks, through Warner Music South Africa.
Since its inception in 1958, the RIAA has bestowed gold and platinum certifications upon musical compositions in the United States. A platinum certification is conferred upon surpassing 1 million equivalent streams.
Furthermore, the RIAA’s recently published 2023 music revenue report showcased unprecedented growth, with total revenue reaching $17 billion, reflecting an 8% upsurge. Notably, music streaming constituted 84% of the revenue, fueled by a surge in paid subscriptions to on-demand services, amounting to $96.8 million.
The revenue from physical products also experienced a noteworthy surge, escalating by 11% to $1.9 billion, with vinyl records spearheading the surge, amassing $1.4 billion, signifying a 10% increase. Remarkably, vinyl sales surpassed CDs in unit sales for the first time since 1987, although CD sales also experienced growth, ascending by 11% to $537 million in 2023.
