Dance music diva Grace Jones, just sold her first ‘Gold’ single in the U.S. as a feature on “Move” by Beyoncé. The track, which also features Nigerian singer Tems, has sold 500,000 units in streams and sales in the U.S. according to Chart Data. The song is now eligible for Gold certificiaiton by the Recording Industry Associaion Of America (RIAA).
‘Move’ earned Jones her highest chart debut in the U.S. in August 2022 after the track debuted at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the 70s dance hit maker’s fourth time making the chart. She first entered with Sorry/That’s The Trouble, 46 years ago which peaked at No. 71 in 1977 and I Need A Man peaked at No. 83 later the same year. Her highest chart success was 35 years ago with I’m Not Perfect which peaked at No. 69 on January 10, 1987.
Trojan Records Jamaican CEO Sshh, confirmed with World Music Views that Jones’s verse for Move, was recorded at her and husband Zak Starkey’s Jamaican Sound System (formerly Trojan Jamaica) studio in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
The track appears on Beyoncé Renaissance album (Parkwood/Columbia Records) and has already surpassed 66 million streams on Spotify. It is Jones first song to reach the milestone.
Jones’ collaboration with Beyoncé comes after she stated in her 2015 Memoir “I’ll Never Write My Memoirs” that she rejects working with contemporary pop stars. At the time, the fashion icons trashed Beyonce, Rihanna, Madonna and Miley Cyrus stating that she didn’t want to follow trends or chase clout, adding that they are all copying her.
“You can get sidetracked. A hurricane can wash you away. Trends come along and people say, Follow that trend. A big act emerges, and the advice comes in: Why don’t you follow them? Even if it was a trend you might have set in motion 30 years ago, and you don’t really want to do it all over again,” The Jamaican born singer wrote. “There’s a lot of that around at the moment. Be like [Beyoncé’s] Sasha Fierce. Be like Miley Cyrus. Be like Rihanna. Be like Lady Gaga. Be like Rita Ora and Sia. Be like Madonna. I cannot be like them, except to the extent that they are already being like me.”
However on “Move,” Beyoncé and Jones deliver a powerful performance, with Beyoncé encouraging movement “Move out the way” and Jones contributing background vocals. Beyoncé dedicated her album to the pioneers of club culture and her Uncle Jonny, who played a significant role in her musical upbringing.
All the songs from Renaissance have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and every song except “All Up In Your Mind” have now sold 500,000 units in the U.S.
Beyoncé just wrapped her Renaissance Tour on October 1 in Kansas City, MO, and according to Forbes she reeked in an astounding box office gross of $579 million. The tour now ranks among the top 10 highest-grossing music tours in history, nestled between The Rolling Stones’ “A Bigger Bang Tour” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Not in This Lifetime… Tour”.
Renaissance, promoted by Live Nation, and launched in support of Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance,” sold 2.7 million tickets and visited 39 cities, featuring 56 headlining dates throughout North America and Europe. Fans who missed the live experience can anticipate a concert film, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” set to hit theaters on December 1.
