Chris Brown turned 36 years old on Monday (May 5), and he has extra reason to celebrate his birthday after the RIAA announced that he’s collected another diamond certification with 2011’s “Look at Me Now.”
After going eight times platinum in 2021, “Look at Me Now” earned diamond status on Monday. With assists from Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, the Afrojack and Diplo-produced single landed on CB’s F.A.M.E. album. (The Recording Industry Association of America issues diamond certification to singles that have sold 10 million units in the United States.)
Busta Rhymes’ speedy bars over spacey synths became one of the most memorable verses of his career, which has been imitated by fans at karaoke bars across the globe — but never truly duplicated.
A Colin Tilley-directed visual arrived in March 2011 and has compiled nearly 580 million views on YouTube. “Look at Me Now” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
“I knew that I was working on something for a Chris Brown record, but I thought it was for a mixtape,” Diplo told VIBE of the track’s formation. “When I did the beat, I gave it to one of his writers. Then Busta Rhymes got on it and I was like, ‘OK, this is going to be a club record.’ And then when Wayne got on it, ‘Look at Me Now’ became a radio record. It just took off from there.”
It’s Brown’s third diamond plaque following “No Guidance” with Drake and his appearance on RVSSIAN and Rauw Alejandro’s “NOSTÁLGICO.” “Look at Me Now” is Wayne’s fourth diamond certification and Busta Rhymes’ first.
Fourteen years later, Brown is still at it. He’s preparing to hit the road for a global trek, as the Breezy Bowl XX stadium tour is slated to kick off in Amsterdam on June 8. Jhené Aiko, Bryson Tiller and Summer Walker are set to join him on the tour at various stops across the world.
