It's been a nice couple of days for double RIAA certification stories. First, Future became the only artist so far to have two 2017 albums hit at least the Gold certification level, with HNDRXX hitting the milestone today after his self-tilted LP had already been awarded a platinum plaque, due in large part to the massive success of "Mask Off" as a single. Now, SZA is following a similar route, nabbing two significant achievements in one shot - both centered around her album Ctrl.
As per her Instagram posts, the TDE artist saw the RIAA bestow her with a Gold certification for her aforementioned LP, which has become a critical darling as well as a fan favorite, giving her label another hit album release shortly after Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. took a stranglehold of the hip-hop marketplace. Additionally, her single "Love Galore," which features soon-to-be daddy Travis Scott on vocals, was certified Platinum by the organization, solidifying SZA's status as an unquestioned hitmaker. After a creation process that nearly saw the record canned before it ever saw the light of day, it must be a cathartic moment for both her and TDE to see the continued support that Ctrl has received.
The popularity of the album and SZA as a R&B sensation is only going to grow in the months ahead, with her featured spot on Maroon 5's "What Lovers Do" exposing her to a more mainstream audience that may not have been super familiar with Ctrl upon its initial release. That being said, her fans showed just how much they love her music yesterday (October 10th) in New York City, where hundreds of fans clogged the streets near a venue where she was supposed to perform a free "secret show." Unfortunately, the amount of people that came through led to law enforcement responding to complains from disgruntled neighbors. As a result, the officers on the scene shut down one of the two shows that were planned and put a strict cap on the amount of people that would be allowed in to see the one performance that was left.
Regardless, SZA's star continues to rise and, down the road, her full-length follow-up to Ctrl will be one of the most anticipated albums of the foreseeable future.
