The 2003 hit track by Jamaican Wayne Wonder, “No Letting Go,” has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify just a year after being certified Gold in the United States. “No Letting Go” received its Gold certification in August 2022 from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Certified Gold
The Certified Gold designation is given to recordings that achieve sales of over 500,000 units.
In August 2022, the song was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), commemorating sales exceeding 500,000 units. The CEO of VP Records, Christopher Chin, presented Wonder with the gold plaque from RIAA in New York’s Central Park at the 2022 SummerStage concert. After receiving the plaque, Wonder said he was ‘humbled by this great recognition.” The track was also certified Gold in the United Kingdom in 2020 when its sales surpassed 400,000 copies.
Wonder’s Biggest Success
“No Letting Go” was written by Wonder and Steven “Lenky” Marsden, who also produced it. It was on the singer’s 2003 album, “No Holding Back.” The album, which was Wonder’s 11th studio album, received a nomination in the Best Reggae Album category at the Grammys in 2004, and the single reached Number Three on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the track peaked at Number 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It is Wayne Wonder’s most successful single to date, and according to him, it was the US media personality Wendy Williams who brought the song to the attention of commercial radio. Her attention prompted deejays to boost its popularity. “No Holding Back” remains the singer’s only album thus far to chart in the US.
Diwali Riddim
“No Letting Go” was one of the hits from the riddim known as the Diwali Riddim, which was also produced by Marsden. It is considered one of the classic dancehall riddims and became popular with the “Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27” in 2002. It appeared on a number of hit songs by artists like Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, and Elephant Man, as well as on Wonder’s recording. The New York Times called the track “one of the most popular reggae rhythms of all time…If ever there was a beat that deserved its own ‘Behind the Music,’ this is it.” The album was also called the best reggae album released in 2002. The beat comprises syncopated clapping and was named “Diwali” in recognition of its Indian dance music influence.
