La Bicicleta / Sony Music Latin
As of February 7, Shakira & Carlos Vives’ “La Bicicleta” did not have a formal digital single certification in the United States.
That reality changed on February 8.
According to the RIAA, “La Bicicleta” was certified up to 17x platinum under the RIAA’s Latin Music Program.
The award confirms 1.02 million in US units. Each unit is equal to 1 paid download or 150 streams.
The Latin Music Program, which relies on an adjusted certification rate (60,000 units = platinum), honors music that is primarily in Spanish.
Of course, insofar as the 17x platinum certification confirms 1.02 million in US units, “La Bicicleta” would qualify for platinum under the standard methodology.
The key takeaway: even if one chooses not to use the adjusted lens, they would be unable to dispute the song’s resonance.