FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI SONG "FREE TO BE ME" EARNS GOLD CERTIFICATION

 

FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI SONG "FREE TO BE ME" EARNS GOLD CERTIFICATION 

Francesca Battistelli is Christian Music's best-selling new artist in 10 years and has now earned Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for her GRAMMY® nominated single "Free To Be Me." Word Entertainment President & CEO, Rod Riley, surprised Francesca with the Gold record at a private Nashville album launch event on Thursday. "Free To Be Me" is the second single off her debut album, My Paper Heart, and spent ten consecutive weeks at No. 1 on CHR and two consecutive weeks at No. 1 on AC Monitored in 2009. In 2012, Francesca received a Gold record for My Paper Heart marking the first debut album from a CCM artist in nearly a decade to receive RIAA-certified Gold status for sales in excess of 500,000 units. Casting Crowns' 2003 release was the last CCM debut album to receive RIAA Gold certification. 

Francesca's third studio album, If We're Honest, is is now available worldwide. Her fans can get an exclusive listen to the album on iTunes Radio HERE. The deluxe version of If We're Honest features four bonus tracks: "Holy Spirit," "Keeping Score," "I Am Home" and "Tonight (Feat. All Sons & Daughters)" and instant downloads of "Write Your Story," "When The Crazy Kicks In" and "He Knows My Name." It is currently available for pre-order at iTunes HERE.

The GRAMMY®-nominated and Dove Award Winning "Artist of the Year" and "Female Vocalist of the Year" made her national television debut in February singing "Write Your Story" on "Good Morning America" on ABC. 

Since her debut in 2008, Francesca Battistelli has earned a GRAMMY® nomination (Best Gospel Performance), six Dove Awards and 22 Dove Award nominations. Both her debut album, My Paper Heart (certified gold in 2012), and her 2011 sophomore release, Hundred More Years, took the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Christian Album chart. With over 995,000 in album sales to date and over 1.9 million single downloads, she is the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past decade. Her music has also been featured on TriStar Picture's "Soul Surfer," Columbia Picture's "Julie and Julia," TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," NBC's "The Biggest Loser," Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," and several other television and movie outlets. 

Tags : Francesca Battistelli Francesca Battistelli gold Francesca Battistelli if were honest Francesca Battistelli 2014 Francesca Battistelli third album