Chris Brown Earns First Diamond Certified Single With “No Guidance”

Chris Brown is one of the best-selling artists of all time. He’s been called the “King of R&B” by his peers. He also has the most RIAA Gold certified singles and RIAA multi-Platinum singles of any male star in pop history. It’s difficult to imagine an achievement that Chris Brown hasn’t already unlocked, and yet, he has topped himself. The singer recently scored his first ever Diamond certified single with “No Guidance,” his 2019 hit with Drake.

Chris Brown confirmed the massive achievement on November 13. He posted a response to the Diamond certification on Instagram, writing: “Diamond. Cook and remain humble.” A Diamond certification is given to songs that have managed to eclipse 10 million units. It’s a rare feat reserved for singles that stand the test of time, and continue to draw streams years after their release. “No Guidance” is a perfect example of this phenomenon. The single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It marked Chris Brown’s highest charting pop song since “Forever” a decade earlier. It also set a record for most weeks on top of the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart.

“No Guidance” may not have topped the Billboard Hot 100, but it’s become, statistically, the biggest song of Chris Brown’s career. It was a catchy song, but part of the song’s enduring appeal is definitely the crossover between Breezy and Drizzy. The two artists were passionate rivals for most of the 2010s, but they decided to set their differences aside and collab. The anticipation was high, and “No Guidance” delivered. “I just always had a lot of admiration for his talent,” Drake told Rap Radar in 2019. “And I think finally he gave me the mutual respect and admiration by allowing me to take the lead on the song.”

Chris Brown’s Diamond certification is a respite from the negative press that has been surrounding him in recent weeks. The singer is the focus of the new documentary A History of Violence, which delved into his troubled past and interviews various women who have accused him of violent behavior. The doc led to a renewed interest in the more sordid aspects of Brown’s career. Obviously, these allegations have done very little to impact his success, as his new RIAA plaque can attest.