OMI’s ‘Cheerleader’ Remix Certified 5X Platinum In The UK

OMI‘s Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix) was certified 5X Platinum in the United Kingdom on Friday (January 5), having recorded another 600,000 units in the country since August 2020.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the remix, released in 2014, has sold over 3 million in sales and streaming equivalent units in the UK.

The original song was co-produced by OMI and Clifton “Specialist” Dillon and initially released in 2012 to moderate traction in Jamaica. It wasn’t until Ultra Records commissioned the release of the Felix Jaehn remix in 2014 that the track truly exploded onto the global scene. Jaehn’s deep house take on Cheerleader transformed the reggae-infused original into a summery anthem, complete with a driving beat, infectious piano chords, and a soaring trumpet melody.

The remix quickly climbed the charts worldwide, reaching No. 1 in over 20 countries. In the UK, the song spent 64 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, including four weeks at No. 1. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Canadian Hot 100.

It is currently certified 3X Platinum in the United States, Diamond in Canada for 800,000 units, 6X Platinum in Australia for 420,000 units sold, 4X Platinum in Denmark for 240,000 units, Diamond in France for over 200,000 units, 4X Platinum in Germany for 1.2 million units, and 7X Platinum in Italy for 350,000 units.

On Spotify, Cheerleader has over 1.5 billion plays, making it the most streamed song led by a Jamaican artist on the platform. Sean Paul’s No Lie with Dua Lipa has over 1 billion plays, while Major Lazer’s Light It Up (Remix) with Jamaican singer Nyla and FuseODG has over 1.2 billion plays.

The remix’s music video, which was shot in Florida and directed by Lenny Bass, has over 1.2 billion views on YouTube.

In 2020, OMI, whose real name is Omar Pasley, told the Observer that he never expected the song to become such a monster hit.

“I must admit the level of success I’ve gained with Cheerleader went far beyond the imagination of a lot of people including myself,” he had said.

“And I get asked this question quite a lot, and usually the follow-up question is, ‘do I feel pressured to create another hit’. Now, its with great humility, I must say, that it’s not up to me to create another hit. This decision rests with the people, the fans. They are the true deciders on whether a song is a hit.”

His debut album, Me 4 U, which includes Cheerleader, is certified Gold in the United States and Denmark for 500,000 and 10,000 units respectively, and Platinum in Canada for 80,000 units.

OMI’s latest singles are CANDY and Thunder, both released in 2023 under Oufah Music.