Elton John’s holiday single steps into Platinum

Elton John‘s holiday song “Step Into Christmas” was released way back in 1973, but it has finally been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

“Step Into Christmas” has re-entered Billboard‘s Holiday Airplay chart every year over the past decade and has returned to the U.K. singles chart every year since 2011. Last year, a new video was created for the song, starring Cara Delevingne as Elton.

Elton has posted a video poking fun at how ubiquitous “Step Into Christmas” becomes each holiday season: In it, he’s in his kitchen, and every time he opens something — a drawer, the oven, a cabinet, the refrigerator — the song starts playing, prompting him to scream in horror.

In other Elton news, Monday, Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, and he’s announced in an email to fans that all donations to his Elton John AIDS Foundation will be tripled on this day.

“I lost hundreds of friends to AIDS. I built a chapel in my home so I’d never forget them. But the real danger is that the world has already forgotten,” he writes. “Every single minute, someone dies of AIDS-related causes. This is happening right now. On our watch.” 

“It’s not because we lack the tools … What’s missing is the global attention and political will, but I’ve seen compassion move mountains before, and I believe it can again,” he notes. “You’ve stood by me for decades, and this World AIDS Day, I’m asking if you will stand with me and my Foundation to ensure no one is left behind.”