
Alternative metal juggernauts Bad Omens have firmly cemented their position at the absolute forefront of modern heavy music culture as their monumental 2022 single, Just Pretend, officially secured a double-platinum certification in the United States. The historic achievement marks the first-ever double-platinum award for the group, capping off an unprecedented multi-year commercial ascent that originally ignited through organic viral explosion before completely reshaping rock radio metrics.
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BAD OMENS: AMERICAN RIAA CERTIFICATION MATRIX
From TikTok Phenomenon to RIAA Dominance: The Timeline of a Hit
The astronomical rise of “Just Pretend” serves as a masterclass in how modern digital landscapes can catapult heavy alternative music into the mainstream stratosphere. Originally unleashed in 2022 as a core centerpiece of their third studio album, The Death Of Peace Of Mind, the track didn’t rely on traditional, old-school promotional rollouts to explode. Instead, the song caught fire on the social media platform TikTok, where an organic wave of user-generated content pushed its soaring choruses to millions of casual listeners outside the traditional metal bubble.
The resulting digital interest translated immediately into massive, sustained commercial momentum. The track officially locked down its first RIAA Gold status back in July of 2023. By April of 2024, the continuous streaming volume pushed the track past the prestigious Platinum threshold. Now, just over two years later, the tracking metrics have officially doubled, giving Bad Omens an elite double-platinum plaque to anchor their trophy room.
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Cracking the Platinum Code: The Math Behind the Plaque
To fully comprehend the sheer scale of what Bad Omens has pulled off, it helps to look at the rigid modern mathematical formulas enforced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the United States, a single Platinum certification demands the movement of 1,000,000 units, meaning “Just Pretend” has successfully cleared over 2,000,000 verified units.
Because physical CD and vinyl sales have taken a back seat to the digital landscape, the RIAA calculates these units through a complex formula blending digital streams and permanent downloads:
- 1 Unit equals 10 permanent digital track downloads.
- 1 Unit equals 1,500 on-demand audio or video streams generated from a full album layout.
- 1 Track-Equivalent Unit is triggered by every 150 individual streams of a standalone song.
When you multiply those ratios across a double-platinum threshold, it reveals that “Just Pretend” has racked up hundreds of millions of streams globally, a feat rarely achieved by bands residing within the alternative metal ecosystem.
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A Golden Empire: The Broader Catalog Explosion
“Just Pretend” is far from an isolated victory. The massive wave of public interest surrounding the track has triggered a powerful secondary halo effect across the band’s entire creative catalog, yielding a massive host of simultaneous RIAA Gold certifications (representing 500,000 units each).
The band’s boundary-pushing third album, The Death Of Peace Of Mind, has officially been certified Gold as a complete body of work. Additionally, three separate individual singles have crossed the 500,000-unit threshold to take home Gold honors: the album’s haunting, darkwave-adjacent title track, the melodic active-rock radio juggernaut “Like A Villain,” and the older, foundational favorite “Limits.”
With their catalog rapidly turning to precious metals, Bad Omens have effectively moved past the tag of a “viral sensation” to become an undisputed arena-level institution in modern rock history.
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FAQ: Bad Omens RIAA Double Platinum Milestones
What does a double-platinum certification mean for a song in the US? It signifies that a track has achieved over 2,000,000 certified units through a combination of traditional physical sales, permanent digital downloads, and on-demand audio/video streams.
Which other Bad Omens songs are currently certified by the RIAA? While “Just Pretend” is double platinum, the singles “The Death Of Peace Of Mind,” “Like A Villain,” and “Limits” have all officially secured RIAA Gold status.
Which Bad Omens album is certified Gold? Their critically acclaimed third studio full-length album, The Death Of Peace Of Mind, was officially certified Gold after moving over 500,000 album-equivalent units.
TL;DR
- The Milestone: Bad Omens’ breakout hit single “Just Pretend” has officially been certified double platinum in the United States.
- The Timeline: The track originally dropped in 2022, hitting Gold in July 2023, Platinum in April 2024, and now Double Platinum.
- The Catalyst: The song’s massive commercial footprint was supercharged by a viral explosion on the social media platform TikTok.
- The Gold Wave: The band also secured a Gold album certification for The Death Of Peace Of Mind, along with individual Gold single plaques for “Like A Villain,” “Limits,” and the album’s title track.
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The streaming data has been processed, the metrics are official, and Bad Omens are running away with the heavy music crown.
What is your honest assessment of this massive double-platinum milestone? Do you think “Just Pretend” deserves its spot as one of the defining heavy alternative anthems of the decade, or are you partial to their heavier, metalcore-leaning catalog tracks? Sound off with your tracking thoughts and song reviews in the comments section below!
The post Bad Omens Secure Historic RIAA Milestone As Hit Single Just Pretend Officially Goes Double Platinum In The United States appeared first on Loaded Radio.



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