The Weeknd’s BBTM Song ‘The Hills’ Is Now Diamond Certified

Major BBTM feels. ‘The Hills’ by The Weeknd is now officially diamond certified! But are you surprised? I mean, it was bound to happen (and should’ve happened a long time ago). At one point, people (and the radio) almost got annoying acting like ‘The Hills’ was the best Weeknd song ever (because it was the only one they knew lol). But we have to admit it was really something. And it finally got the recognition it deserved! So that’s definitely a win for the incomparable R&B music artist – who will once again dominate the music scene when he releases the damn album – and the XO team. Doesn’t this give you major BBTM nostalgia, though?

Released back in 2015 as part of the Grammy-winning album BBTM (Beauty Behind The Madness), ‘The Hills’ is one of The Weeknd’s classics.

The lyrics still come back to me and ring in my head clear as day, as if I never put it off my repeat:

“I’m just tryina’ get you out the friend zone
‘Cause you look even better than the photos”

And of course, the classic line:

“I only call you when it’s half past five,
the only time that I’ll be by your side”

Even just reading the lyrics, can’t you almost hear the low-rumbling bass and groovy tune of the song complimented by his sweet falsetto vocals?

No? Just me? OK.

“I only love it when you touch me, not feel me
When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me”

If you go back to BBTM and listen to ‘The Hills’, you’ll remember what I’m talking about. It just never gets old.

RIAA Diamond Certification – An Honour

‘The Hills’ is the 29th single to have obtained the RIAA’s diamond certification. This basically means that our Starboy is now the 23rd artist to have ever earned this status, right alongside the likes of the Beatles, Biggie Smalls, Eminem, Tupac and the Beastie Boys. But what does this even mean? What exactly is the big deal with diamond certification?

It’s not easy for a song or album to achieve the status of diamond certification. In fact, according to Forbes, singles and albums are certified diamond by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) when they have moved at least 10 million equivalent units! In other words, this means that the actual sales have to be 10 million (including the streams that add up to equivalent copies moved). Therefore, it really is a true honor for The Weeknd to have a song become diamond certified.

In spite of that, this should’ve happened a long time ago for The Weeknd. ‘The Hills’ definitely took its time moving up the ranks but it had the quality to do so from the start. When it was first released, it had garnered a lot of attention from all over the media. It actually remained on the Billboard 100 for six weeks and even received a remix from Eminem and Nicki Minaj. At its peak, it was part of several year-end lists like that of Rolling Stone, Billboard and TIME.

Meanwhile, there are other songs of The Weeknd too that not only deserve but can truly earn the RIAA diamond certification. For starters, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ – also from BBTM – might and should also receive this status, as it has already been named seven times platinum. The same is true for the more recent hit ‘Starboy’.

The Weeknd’s Response In One Tweet

After news of ‘The Hills’ diamond certification broke out, we were excited to see how The Weeknd would respond. And he did, in the most humbling manner, in a short tweet:

The Weeknd – New Album?

Thus, it’s no surprise that ‘The Hills’ has come this far since 2015. Moreover, The Weeknd will probably blow up once again when he releases the new 2019 album he’s been working on for quite some time now. Easily comparable to MJ (Michael Jackson), there are no signs of The Weeknd’s immense success slowing down any time soon. As gifted as he is with his voice, it’s only a matter of time before we see another one of his songs earn the same distinction.

Meanwhile, the music world continues to wait for The Weeknd to drop his new album. We all know Chapter VI has been a long time coming. And, of course, the XO fan base community doesn’t let go of any opportunity to throw around some playful, shady AF memes.