Almost a year after releasing his eighth studio album “The Life of Pablo,” Kanye West has earned another first in the music industry, the first platinum streaming-only album. On Tuesday (April 4), “The Life of Pablo” achieved platinum status, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
While the label says that the project is the first streaming-only album to go platinum, TLOP was available for sale for a short time on West’s official site upon its release in February. TLOP, which arrived as a TIDAL exclusive, managed to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after 70 percent of the album’s debut earnings. 94,000 equivalent album units were due to streaming. TLOP was streamed over three billion times worldwide, after its release. Additionally, West’s site is currently selling digital downloads for $20.
It's official. #TLOP is @KanyeWest's eighth RIAA Platinum (or higher) album! @DefJamRecords ? pic.twitter.com/NhDMNrxR5v
— RIAA (@RIAA) April 4, 2017