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Sufjan Stevens Celebrates First Gold Certification for Illinois

NEWPORT, RI - JULY 25: Sufjan Stevens performs during the 2015 Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park on July 25, 2015 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

Sufjan Stevens released his orchestral indie-pop masterwork Illinois 12 years ago. It was rightly hailed as an artistic classic upon its release, and now, more than a decade later, it’s hit a commercial benchmark, too. On his website, Stevens just posted a scan of a letter from the RIAA, which says that Illinois has sold enough copies to be certified gold. On his website, Stevens writes, “I just heard the news. All respect ALL CAPS to everyone out there hustling for a better world. Make it your greatest. Stay productive. Stay positive. Stay creative. Stay sane.”

This article originally appeared on Stereogum