Above & Beyond Earn First RIAA Gold-Certified Record
Written by djfrosty on July 6, 2023
Above & Beyond are going further than ever before, with the electronic trio earning their first RIAA Gold Record via their 2019 track “Don’t Leave.”
The song comes from the group’s 2019 ambient album Flow State, which was designed for use during yoga and meditation. The certification marks 500,000 units moved of the song, with the track’s success bolstered via Amazon Music, which has pushed yoga and meditation music over the past few years. Multiple tracks from Flow State appeared on ambient-oriented Amazon Music playlists, with more than 70% of the Amazon Music plays of “Don’t Leave” coming from such curated programming.
“Our wellness and meditation customers are incredibly discerning; if a song isn’t resonating with them, we see that quickly,” says John Farrey, dance & electronic lead at Amazon Music. “Above & Beyond put the same care into their work in the wellness space that they do for the dance floor, and it’s that attention that has led to the staying power of ‘Don’t Leave’ on Amazon Music.”
The success of “Don’t Leave” also marks the first RIAA Certification for Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep, the labels founded by Above & Beyond and the home of all their music. The album also marked the inspiration for the latest A&B-related label, Reflections, a home for ambient, downtempo and wellness-related music. Launched in 2022, Reflections averages one release per week and is designed to be a home for electronic producers to explore different facets of their sound.
The RIAA certification of “Don’t Leave” was celebrated last night in Brooklyn, where the trio’s Paavo Siljamaki and longtime collaborator Elena Brower (a contributor to Flow State) hosted a sunset yoga session on the roof of Amazon Music.
“Our music has always been about getting in touch with, and understanding and accepting our emotions,” says Siljamaki. “After those amazing yoga sets, we realized that there is a bigger place for this more reflective music within our little universe. With the Flow State project, we want to help bring people’s attention and focus towards helping themselves find better mental fitness and overall happiness in life.”