Who is Oliver Anthony and what's the deal with 'Rich Men North of Richmond?' | Mashable.
Who is Oliver Anthony and what's the deal with 'Rich Men North of Richmond?'
The new country star has some controversy surrounding him. Credit: YouTube / radiowv |
Over the weekend, Oliver Anthony went from a relative unknown to a viral country star to an adoptive beacon of the conservative movement.
You could've easily missed it if you disconnected for even a few days.
But we've got the breakdown, the questions that need answering, and what you need to understand about the whole controversy surrounding the musician.
Who is Oliver Anthony?
In short, Anthony is a country artist from around Farmville, Virginia. His TikTok account, @oliveranthonymusic, was relatively unknown — that is, until this past weekend. Anthony went from thousands of views to millions for his song "Rich Men North of Richmond."
At first blush, it comes off as a working-class anthem taking aim at the powerful and the politicians in Washington, D.C. who are, as the song says, just north of Richmond. It speaks about selling your soul for low wages, powerful forces controlling your life, and a working person's dollar not going very far. An initial TikTok of the song racked up some 5 million views and a follow-up got nearly 2 million views.
Anthony quickly shot to (relative) fame. He has a clearly defined image: a big red beard, a rural setting (the story is that he's "off-grid"), and when singing, a distinct, gravelly voice and heavy twang. The music is raw and has clearly resonated with people.
What's the controversy?
Here's where things get sticky. While the verse Anthony initially posted was relatively benign, the full song leans into far-right rhetoric. Posted by YouTube account RadioWV, it's garnered a whopping 12 million views in just six days. It also revealed some verses that feel like cribbed right-wing talking points. The supposed working-class anthem rails against overweight people who receive government assistance and references Jeffrey Epstein and child trafficking.
The verse goes:
"I wish politicians would look out for miners / And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain't got nothing to eat / And the obese milking welfare
Well, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds / Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are putting themselves six feet in the ground / Cause all this damn country does is keep on kicking them down"
It's definitely more subtle than Jason Aldean's recent right-wing hit "Try That in a Small Town," but the message is pretty clear nonetheless. Taxes are bad. Obese poor people are bad. There are certain politicians — you know which — who are abusing children, which is a common right-wing smear of liberal, or LGBTQ, figures. Of course, Epstein was doing horrific things and powerful people were allegedly involved, but not in the simplistic way right-wing figures want it to seem.
Then, as the internet does, it dug deeper. Oliver Anthony's YouTube page featured a public playlist titled, "Videos that make your noggin get bigger" that's effectively a who's who and what's what of right-wing figures and conspiracy theories. People like Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro and multiple conspiracy videos about 9/11 involving Jewish people.
Some of the videos seem a lot like the New World Order conspiracy theory, and it makes you wonder about lyrics in the song like "living in the new world / with an old soul." That particular conspiracy theory is often tied to antisemitic idea that there is a secret global cabal run by Jewish people that controls everything in the world.
So while there isn't much known about Anthony outright at this moment — he hasn't said much of substance publicly — what hints we do have about him, seem to indicate he could hold some right-wing beliefs.
Who's supported Oliver Anthony?
It didn't take long for the usual, hyper-online conservative folks to take up the singer as their latest cause célèbre. Matt Walsh has posted about it a bunch. So has singer/conservative celebrity John Rich. Ditto with Dan Bongino, Mike Flynn, Kari Lake, Jason Whitlock, Benny Johnson, and so on.
It's not like Anthony has jumped out and said, Hey, I'm the singer for right-wing America, but they've embraced him as such. So much so that folks are spreading an unproven rumor that Anthony is a conservative industry plant, propped up out of nowhere by the online, right-wing movement. Again that isn't proven but just goes to show where his most vocal support is coming from.
But, to be clear, it's not like conservative influencers are the only people who've supported Anthony and his music. He hasn't gotten millions and millions of views on that alone — it's just that those figures have taken him on as their own.
What happens next?
Anthony, at least for now, is a major rising star. "Rich Men North of Richmond" and other songs from Anthony have rocketed up the top of the iTunes charts. A local show at a small venue was packed to the gills with new fans.
The country music space is an interesting one these days. You've got Aldean's hit but also Jason Isbell railing against it. There's John Rich but also Tyler Childers, who recently debuted a music video showing a gay love story.
Where, exactly, Anthony fits in that landscape remains to be seen.
Great song!
ReplyDeleteTalented singer and picker but crap song. The title indicates that the problem is with the rich men in government just taking care of themselves but the real screamy part of the song is just another lame right wing shot at poor people. The message of this song is hopelessly inconsistent and incongruent.
ReplyDeletebawhahaha . Yep he pointed out the Rich swamp in DC and the lazy fat people exploiting the system . The truth is painful for the guilty to hear .
DeleteJust another angry white moron song punching up, down, and all around with no clue about the complexities of the problem. Yawn.
Deleteinteresting it's usually those who are committing the fraud that are offending by others for calling them out .
DeleteWelfare fraud is such a minor problem compared to corporate subsidies and tax breaks for super wealthy people. But go ahead and blame the guy eating some fudge rounds for the country’s woes. Poor people are not the problem, they are the result of the problem.
Deleteso fraud is not the problem but letting companies keep their money is . You correct About subsidies , just look at the Trillions that have been given out since 2020 for the fake fight against climate change and fot a vaccine that does not work .
DeleteYour comment makes as much sense as this dumb song.
DeleteThis is terrible.
ReplyDeleteIf I asked ChatGPT to write a country song in the style of Newsmax
ReplyDeleteWell he sings better than I do, but that don’t impress me much
ReplyDeleteThank God he revealed a woman eating Little Debbie's is the cause of all my problems.
ReplyDeleteanyone that exploits the system is a problem . I think there was 40 billion in COVID fraud . Image adding up the welfare fraud since 1965 and the Trillions of revenue that funded it
Deletewelfare benefits like SNAP cost the average taxpayer $35 a year. If someone wants $2 fudge rounds, I really don't give a sh*t. Other poor people are not my enemy.
Deleteand how much has been spent on government contracts without any accountability, it would make the little Debbie eaters a spec in comparison.
Deletethe estimated welfare fraud over the years is 3.2 trillion .that's a lot of little Debbie's.
Deletemost of the COVID Fraud came from wealthy people, large corporations and corrupt government officials....not welfare recipients. The middle class needs to stop pointing the finger at programs that help people and start pointing the finger at corporate welfare and the industrial military complex
DeleteNovember 2022, DOD failed its fifth consecutive audit, unable to account for sixty-one percent of its $3.5 trillion in assets... thats just the DOD. and that isn't since 1965. That's just 2022. I'm not saying welfare corruption isn't bad, but this is much worse.
DeleteThis song's like if Fetal Alcohol Syndrome became semi-sentient.
ReplyDeleteA lot of this song has truth.
ReplyDeleteMashable jealous of anyone successful
ReplyDeleteyou can’t read the article. Maybe someone can read it to you
DeleteFantastic song! ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete…And the obese milking welfare.
ReplyDeleteAren’t those his people?
Curious what you mean by that..
DeleteIs that you looking down on, as you said it, “his people”?
he means ppl who look like him are the #1 recipients of food stamps in America
DeleteWhat does he mean by making HIS statement, “and the obese milking welfare?”
DeleteHe means the welfare system is being abused, and the backs of the blue collar working man is who pays the bill. Welfare is intended to be a tool… a stepping stone.. not a way of life.
DeleteActually the backs of working men & women in the Blue states are playing higher taxes to the government which in turn pays for most of the welfare checks in those Red welfare states. I.e., Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, etc.
Delete🤔🤨
DeleteI didn’t say anything about blue states or red states.. I said blue collar, and they’re in every state.. clearly you have an agenda..
the welfare system is broken.. and if you can’t see that, then I don’t know what to tell you. Climb down outta that tower… have a look for yourself.
Sure.
Deletehttps://apple.news/AjtP_PFxkT3iTfl0CL7apTw
I see you’re just as much of a victim of right wing propaganda as he is
DeleteThere’s very little abuse or Friday in the welfare system
Yeah, if you want to talk about corporate welfare, that’s a whole Nother story
No propaganda here slick. I’m not red or blue. Simply a free thinking American citizen.. an individual. I don’t need to have someone else form my opinions for me. I’ve seen the abuse, first hand. I’m not saying everyone on welfare abuses it, but lots are. LOTS. Generational abuse of the system.
Deletethe welfare system might be broken ...but for once I'd like someone to point the finger at the 1% and corporate welfare... Not poor people.
DeleteTruth! We only have to look at the lax accounting if Defense spending and all of a sudden, little Debbie eaters don't mean squat in the big picture.
DeleteCleveland put all their tax dollars into the browns #FuckEducation https://youtu.be/5FN_aHlcYxU
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/J5949HOaNfU
ReplyDeleteNate Haded!
ReplyDeleteit's a good song except for the strange fat-welfare-recipient bit.
ReplyDeleteThis guy must have a great PR guy, this keeps showing up.
ReplyDeleteVote...
ReplyDeleteAstroturf
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need a liberal publication to tell us what this song is about?
ReplyDeleteHe actually was heavily drinking asked God into his life and asked to change a month later witness a hit song and change occured
ReplyDeleteif your change means finger pointing at others, not your own growths, it’s not God but the right wing media indoctrination machine that did it.
DeleteNow that's music! ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteAmericans need class consciousness so badly
ReplyDeleteit wont be gained from this song.
Deletenope
Deletethey used to meet on Epstein Island
DeleteI think you responded to the wrong person bro
Deletethats where they held the “class consciousness seminar”
DeleteGreat song!
ReplyDeleteI mean sure, if you enjoy songs from people whining about everything.
DeleteSome call it whining, others call it singing about the truth, the truth that Mainstream media avoids almost always at all costs. But I bet you don’t even realize that or acknowledge it. But you do you!
DeleteIt's a banger. Why y'all picking on the guy? He's a poor guy picking himself up by his bootstraps, found religion in order to fight substance abuse, doesn't hurt anyone and doesn't do anything mean to anyone. Is there any other target you can go after? Sorry people you don't like, like his music, so you want to smear him. Get over yourself.
ReplyDeletewhat part of the article you didn’t read was smearing?
Deletethey position a few lines as “right wing rhetoric” so I’d say that’s smearing considering they’re not.
Deletedid you read the lyrics? The whole song is 100% right wing rhetoric.
DeleteWill, didn’t read the lyrics lol. I actually listened to the song. Politicians getting rich while the middle and lower class keep getting poorer is right wing rhetoric?
Deletehave to understand, denigrating the poor working class is what the elite liberals enjoy doing. It doesn't matter what the race or background, if the poor working class have the audacity to sing (not protest or confront) their troubles, it's a problem. Thankfully the elite liberals are here to educate, silence and denigrate those poor folks. It's a kindness we ought to all appreciate you see
DeleteLost me at country….
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to bother you with my message I was browsing through my Facebook when I came across your adorable profile. I tried sending you a friend request but it wasn't going through. I like the post you shared on your timeline and i would love to be friend with you, if you don't mind, kindly sending me a friend request, thanks.
DeleteSong of the year 2023
ReplyDeleteMy local choir sings the song of the year every Sunday morning when they sing for pastor when he walks in
DeleteWe don’t listen to mainstream indoctrination songs
I tried to listen. Took me to an ad for a Ford Bronco.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteMashable with their left slant apparently.
ReplyDeleteI’ll bet he wouldn’t describe it as a “far right” hit. Oh yeah, that’s the media with an agenda that does that….
ReplyDeletehave a look at the lyrics sparky.
Deleteagain, as a centerist and a lover of the song craft..this is a man singing his truth..it’s the punters that make it political 👍🏼
Deleteno dummy, the lyrics are political. I’m sorry to hear you apparently can’t read.
Deleteok bot. Don’t cry to much about it
Deleteso someone who doesn’t agree with your idiocy is a bot? what’s it like having an iq lower than your shoe size?
DeleteI wouldn’t consider calling me “sparky”,?as particularly strong or intelligent counter to my comment lol. It was such a trolling, I thought for sure it was a bot!
DeleteBut, if you’re saying that such a low bro, group think, simpleton retort to my general comment, actually can from a human with any intelligence?? Ok sure
It’s AstroTurf
ReplyDelete