Tyler, the Creator is the most successful songwriter according to the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), whose Gold & Platinum program recently announced the top songwriters for the third quarter per a report from Digital Music News. Tyler, the Creator had 17 certifications, making him the most successful artist-songwriter for Q3.
Videos by American Songwriter
His certifications include 5X Platinum “EARFQUAKE” and Double Platinum “NEW MAGIC WAND” from Igor, and 4X Platinum “See You Again” from Flower Boy. “Tyler had an astounding number of songs certified — a testament to his innovative style,” said NMPA President & CEO David Israelite. Hip-hop dominated the certification landscape in Q3, with additional certifications for Jon Brion, who worked with Mac Miller. Brion had nine certifications overall.
[RELATED: Goodbye New Music Fridays? Tyler, The Creator Calls for Industry Change]
Call Me If You Get Lost is Tyler’s most recent album, released in 2021. It is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while Igor from 2019 is certified 2X Platinum. NMPA’s goals are to champion songwriters and music publishers whether big or small, protect publishing rights of creators, and create a landscape that furthers creative and financial success. The RIAA has a similar mission, but more often works with larger labels in its own Gold & Platinum program.
Tyler, The Creator Disses New Music Fridays, Calls for Tuesday Music Releases Again
Tyler hasn’t released music since 2021, as he’s been focused on his fashion brand, Golf Wang. Recently, he opened 12 holiday pop-up shops in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, which featured pieces from his FW23 collection as well as his own vinyl records. He’s been busy with things other than music, but he still holds strong opinions on the music industry as a whole.
In a November interview with journalist Nardwuar, Tyler called out New Music Fridays and called for music to be released on Tuesdays again. “I know people think because of the weekend they can listen and stuff, and streams go up,” he explained. “I think it’s a lot of passive listening at parties, or [when] people get the time to go to the gym, so they’re not really listening.”
For Tyler, the best time to release music would be in the middle of the week, when people are on their daily commute. “You really have that hour or thirty minutes to really ‘dive in’ and really listen because you know once that’s over you’ve got to get to work,” he said.
Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella
