Ayra Starr has added a big new plaque to her wall. “Rush” has been certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA, making it the first song of her career to reach that mark in the American market.
A Platinum plaque from the RIAA stands for one million units in the US, a figure that combines sales and streaming equivalents. For a Nigerian pop star who is still in her early twenties, it is a significant marker of how far her music has travelled. Released in September 2022 as part of the deluxe edition of her debut album, 19 & Dangerous, “Rush” has gone from a viral Afropop favourite to one of the most decorated Nigerian records of its era.
The American plaque joins a long list of honours. In 2023, France’s SNEP certified the song Diamond, a rare feat for an Afrobeats record, with the 50 million equivalent streams that the award requires. In May 2025, the BPI awarded it Platinum in the United Kingdom for passing 600,000 units, which made Ayra the first Nigerian woman to earn that plaque in the UK. The song had debuted at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, and she was the first Nigerian woman to land a solo track on the Official Top 100. “Rush” has also gone Platinum in Canada and New Zealand and three times Platinum in Nigeria.
The song’s recognition goes beyond certifications. It earned Ayra her first Grammy nomination, in the inaugural Best African Music Performance category at the 66th Grammy Awards. At home it climbed to number one on the TurnTable Top 100, and it reached the top ten in countries like France, Lebanon and South Africa.
On streaming platforms, the numbers keep growing. “Rush” became the first solo song by a Nigerian female artist to pass 500 million streams on Spotify. On YouTube it was the first solo song by a Nigerian woman to hit 300 million views, and it has since moved well past 450 million. Those views helped Ayra become the first Nigerian female artist to cross one billion on the platform.
This latest milestone confirms that the world’s appetite for Ayra Starr is steady and growing. “Rush” remains the song that opened the door, and the American plaque shows the door is still wide open.