Andra Day, the immensely talented artist known for her soul-stirring vocals and impactful lyrics, has added another feather to her cap with two new certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Her debut album, Cheers to the Fall, released in 2015, has now earned the prestigious gold certification, signifying sales of over 500,000 equivalent units. This achievement marks a significant milestone in Day’s career as her first project to receive an RIAA award.
Notably, Day’s powerful anthem, “Rise Up,” also from Cheers to the Fall, has reached an impressive 4x-platinum status, denoting sales of four million equivalent units. This remarkable feat stands as Day’s highest certification to date.
Co-written by Day and Jennifer Decilveo, who also co-produced the single alongside Adrian Gurvitz, “Rise Up” has become an enduring symbol of resilience and empowerment.
In the realm of singles, Day recently shared a deeply emotive track titled “Where Do We Go.” This song serves as the inaugural offering from her forthcoming third album, Cassandra, scheduled for release this spring under Warner Records.
Cassandra follows Day’s critically acclaimed work on The United States vs. Billie Holiday soundtrack, which secured the Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media at the 64th Grammy Awards in 2022. Notably, the track “Tigress & Tweed,” co-written and produced by Day and Raphael Saadiq, received a nomination for Best Original Song at the same awards ceremony.
Apart from her musical achievements, Day showcased her multifaceted talent by leading the soundtrack and portraying the iconic jazz singer in the film. Her stellar performance garnered her the historic win of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama at the 78th Golden Globe Awards in 2021. This victory solidified her place in history as the second Black woman to achieve this accolade, following Whoopi Goldberg’s win in 1985 for her role in The Color Purple.
As a testament to her continued impact on the music scene, Day is set to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, where Usher will headline the highly anticipated halftime show.
In celebration of Andra Day’s musical journey, revisit the iconic anthem “Rise Up” below.
