Ariana Grande Gets RIAA Certifications
Ariana Grande scored major RIAA certifications with *eternal sunshine* going 2x Platinum and "we can't be friends" hitting 4x Platinum. The certifications, which garnered 403 likes on social media, reflect the massive commercial success of her latest era. The achievements underscore her continued dominance in pop music streaming and sales.
The album's certifications place it among Grande's most successful projects, continuing a consistent streak of multi-platinum releases. Her previous studio albums, such as *thank u, next* and *Dangerous Woman*, also achieved 2x Platinum status, while *My Everything* has been certified 4x Platinum. *eternal sunshine* was released on March 8, 2024, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's release marked her sixth chart-topping album in the United States, with first-week sales equivalent to 227,000 units, which at the time was the highest for any album in 2024. The single "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" was released on the same day as the album and also debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This became Grande's ninth career number-one single in the U.S. The track was co-written and produced by pop music veterans Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh, who have collaborated with Grande on numerous previous hits. This success comes in a competitive year for pop music, with major releases from artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish dominating the charts. For instance, Taylor Swift's *The Tortured Poets Department* was certified 6x platinum in December 2024. The album's title is a reference to the 2004 film *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*, a favorite of Grande's. The accompanying music video for "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" also pays homage to the film's plot of erasing memories of a past relationship. The lead single from the album, "yes, and?", also debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier in the year. This made *eternal sunshine* the first album by a female artist to have two number-one debuting singles since Taylor Swift's *folklore* in 2020. Grande has announced a deluxe version of the album, titled *Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead*, which is slated for release in March 2025, a year after the original's debut. This extended edition will feature new tracks, suggesting the era's commercial longevity is set to continue.
