Within five weeks of its debut, Ariana Grande‘s hit single “The Way” featuring Mac Miller has been certified Gold by the RIAA for digital sales in excess of 500,000. This is the actress and singer’s very first Gold record and a major milestone in her impressive career thus far. It’s the first time a new artist has gone Gold in that short of time period since 2008.
“The Way” shows no signs of stopping though. It’s risen on the charts faster than any other single from a new artist in 2013. Eight hours after its premiere, it climbed to #1 on the iTunes Overall Chart, trumping mainstay superstars including P!nk, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Rihanna and placing GRANDE at the top of pop music. Meanwhile, its music video has surpassed 20 million YouTube/VEVO views and counting in less than a month.
