Luke Combs + More Surprise Kane Brown After His First Diamond Hit
It's not every day that a country artist earns RIAA Diamond single certification. Kane Brown recently became one of a select few country acts -- eight, to be exact -- who've notched that milestone, demarcating 10 million certified units in the U.S.
Brown's Diamond-certified song is "Heaven," a 2017 slow jam that come off the track list of his self-titled full-length debut and made it all the way to the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart, also topping the year-end chart for Country Airplay that year.
The new certification puts Brown in rare company -- and a collection of other country artists who've also hit Diamond surprised the singer, filming congratulatory video messages to celebrate his accomplishments.
"I heard that 'Heaven' has gone Diamond," said Luke Combs, who's got his own Diamond-certified single with "Beautiful Crazy." "Not many people have done that. I just wanna say welcome to the club, man. It's super cool. Keep killing it, man. You've always been awesome."
"That is such a huge achievement, buddy. Welcome to the Diamond Club," said Tyler Hubbard in the next clip (Hubbard's Diamond single was "Cruise," a song he recorded as one half of Florida Georgia Line.) Lady A's Hillary Scott and Darius Rucker also left their congratulations: Lady A's Diamond single is "Need You Now" and Rucker's is "Wagon Wheel," a song that actually features Lady A on backing vocals.
The other country songs that have achieved Diamond status are Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey," Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road" and Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road."
Brown didn't write "Heaven" -- the song was co-written by Shy Carter, Matthew McGinn and Lindsay Rimes -- but he immediately connected to its lyrics because they reminded him of his now-wife (then fiancée) Katelyn Brown. This may have been the first time that Brown's love story inspired chart-topping musical success, but it sure wasn't the last. In late 2022 and early 2023, Brown and Katelyn earned significant chart and critical acclaim with their No. 1 hit, "Thank God."