Lil Nas X Achieves Diamond Certification With ‘Old Town Road’
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' chart-dominating smash "Old Town Road" has achieved another sales milestone. The megahit has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, marking sales of 10 million units.
Lil Nas X initially released "Old Town Road" via the TikTok app in December of 2018, and the song rapidly became a viral success online, fusing country musical elements with trap beats. After Billboard removed the song from its Hot Country Songs chart in March, deeming it not country enough, Lil Nas X tapped Cyrus for a remix that would go on to become the longest-running No. 1 song on Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart to date, spending 19 weeks at the summit.
The release of several subsequent remixes also helped the song maintain its grasp on the No. 1 slot. EDM DJ Diplo released a remix, Cyrus appeared with rapper Young Thug and Mason Ramsey on another remix and K-pop band BTS joined Lil Nas X for still another remix called "Seoul Town Road."
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"Old Town Road" is the first song released in 2019 to reach Diamond status, and it has also become the fastest song to ever reach Diamond status. It's only the second song in the history of country music to be certified Diamond by the RIAA, following the genre-altering success of Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" back in 2016.
Lil Nas X and Cyrus have both released new music since the chart dominance of "Old Town Road." Lil Nas X' current hit, "Panini," reached the Top 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and Cyrus recently released "Chevys and Fords," a collaboration with Johnny McGuire.
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