The no-frills video suddenly appeared on social media earlier this month. In the outback, a young man with a bushy red beard is holding a guitar, a dog is at his feet, and insects are buzzing in the background. He sings a rural folk song about selling his soul by “working all day” and being kept in his place by inflation, high taxes, and the elites he is responsible for, in an impassioned tone. sing with “Rich people north of Richmond.”
On Monday, less than a week after the song's release, the hitherto unknown songwriter and former factory worker who goes by Oliver Anthony Music beat out pop superstars like Taylor Swift and Olivia to earn a spot on Billboard.・It made an unprecedented leap to number one on the singles chart. In addition to Rodrigo, famous artists representing various countries will also appear, including Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs.
It received an early push from influential conservative commentators and media figures. Jack Posobiec and Jason Whitlock, Anthony's “Rich Men North of Richmond'' was praised for its stripped-down sound and empathy for working people. “The main reason this song resonates with so many people is not political,” says conservative Daily Wire podcast host and columnist Matt Walsh. I have written X, formerly known as Twitter. “We're suffocated by the artificial.” On Instagram, mega-podcaster Joe Rogan added, “You can't fake the real thing.”
The song's populism is unmistakably right-leaning, making it perfect for a moment of hyperpolarization when conservatives find themselves cornered and politics inexorably invades every aspect of culture, including sports, movies, and pop music. The original track has been completed.
“People can say that the woke world has taken over too much content,” said Clay Travis, talk radio host and author of “American Playbook: A Guide to Winning Back the Country From the Democrats.” I'm just angry at the way things were done.” ” “And I think what you’re seeing is a backlash and rebellion.”
Travis also cited conservative activism against Bud Light earlier this year, which sparked a boycott after the beer brand collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on promotions, and subsequently shut down its sales and marketing departments. He also mentioned that the number of sales has decreased, with department executives taking vacations. “What we're seeing is a lot of people exercising their purchasing power,” he added.
Scrutiny over the song's origins, ideological intentions, and disgruntled lyrics, including references to welfare fraud and pedophile politicians, sparked interest from all quarters, placing “Rich Men North of Richmond” at the center of the zeitgeist. And it shot it to the top of the charts.
It's a pattern that has played out repeatedly across pop culture this summer. “The Sound of Freedom,” a feature film about the fight against child trafficking, was supported by conservative politicians including Donald J. Trump, but its star occasionally promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory. It grossed approximately $180 million at the domestic box office, already making it one of the most successful independent films in history.
Veteran country singer Jason Aldean achieved controversial and commercial success with “Try That in a Small Town.” Parts of the music video were previously referenced by Lynch after Country Music Television removed the song's music video following a backlash over its lyrics, which critics said encouraged racist vigilantism. The scene was filmed at a courthouse in Tennessee, and this deteriorating truck quickly became a no-hit. #1 on Billboard.
But Mr. Anthony's (real name Christopher Anthony Lunsford) phenomenal success only proves the potential for confrontational work to cater to an audience he believes is underserved. It also proves something else: promoters and fans are becoming more discerning. They have mastered digital platforms and guerrilla marketing strategies and are taking control of the very cultural industries that have marginalized them.
According to the data-driven service Luminate, “Rich Men North of Richmond” was streamed 17.5 million times on services like Spotify and Apple Music in its first week of release, and in typical viral track fashion, “Rich Men North of Richmond” was streamed 17.5 million times on services like Spotify and Apple Music. Interest has increased. Billboard charts.
The polarizing lyrics also sparked debate. Anthony gave voice to years of conservative criticism of public assistance, singing about “obesity milking welfare” and adding: Don’t Pay for a Bag of Fudge Rounds” links politicians to “minors on some island.”
There was a lot of conversation on social media — “That's a big reason why Oliver Anthony was a hot topic,” said Walsh of the Daily Wire — but more targeted digital knowledge was also at work. . Much of the consumer activity that propelled the song to number one was via his 99-cent digital downloads from retailers such as the iTunes Store. The iTunes Store is an outdated format that is declining in popularity faster than CDs.
Even though streaming now accounts for more than 80% of overall music consumption, paid downloads are heavily weighted in the charts, and are regularly exploited by pop fans like Swift and South Korean group BTS. It's a habit I have. Often in concerted efforts, downloads are used to show support and earn chart milestones that are celebrated like wins in sports or political elections.
Musician and cultural commentator Jamie Brooks says most listeners spend about $10 a month for unlimited access to everything on services like Spotify, so people who buy downloads are spending their money with a purpose. He said he was paying too much.
“Do you do it out of sentimental attachment to the old way of listening, or do you do it because you get something else out of it,” Brooks says. One of those things, she added, “may be to represent their favorite artists on the charts. It means something to them.” And now there are people who are clearly interested in using charts to give the impression that their niche beliefs and views are popular. ”
“Rich Men North of Richmond” sold 147,000 downloads in its first week, more than 10 times the sales of Combs' “Fast Car,” which was No. 2 on the overall singles chart. Mr. Aldean's “Try That in a Small Town” benefited from a similar surge last month, with just 822 downloads in the week before music videos became a culture war battleground, according to Luminate. Despite the backlash, the track sold 228,000 copies.
Anthony, who did not respond to requests for comment, has sought to stay out of political fray. “I sit pretty much in the middle of the aisle when it comes to politics, and I always have,” he said in an introductory video posted on YouTube earlier this month.
He described himself as “just an idiot with a guitar” and a high school dropout who suffered from depression and alcohol abuse. But he added that recently he had found religion and a passion to denounce the “atrocities” of human trafficking and child abuse, which he said were “becoming normalized.”
“Like those who once wandered in the desert, we have become lost from God, distracted by false idols, and divided,” he wrote on Facebook last week.
The proliferation of social media and low-barrier platforms like podcasts has enabled both The Sound of Freedom and Rich North Richmond to communicate directly with their target audiences in ways that would have been unimaginable not long ago. said Neil Harmon. Co-founder of film distribution company Angel Studios.
Harmon said Anthony “wrote a great song and the audience loved it,” adding, “The big moment was when people stood up and did their own thing, instead of answering to those who have traditionally done it.” “This means that we will be able to do so,” he added. It tells you what should succeed and what should fail. ”
Winston Marshall, the writer and musician of former chart-topping group Mumford and Sons, said Mr Anthony and The Sound of Freedom had succeeded “without the institutional support of the creative industries”.
This underdog mentality among conservatives in the creative field has long been a talking point and consumer motivator in book publishing, where right-wing titles by the likes of Mark Levin and Dinesh D'Souza are regularly featured. It ranks high on the sales list.
According to Eric Nelson, editorial director of conservative publication Broadsides, these books are more specific and profound than the focused advertising on one TV channel (Fox News) and cross-ideological sales. They say they are using their appeal. (Broadsides and Fox News are both owned by companies led by Rupert Murdoch.)
“The less content you have in the mainstream media, the more likely it is to be on the bestseller list,” Nelson says.
Similarly, and like activist pop music advocates across the ideological spectrum, many of those pushing “Rich North Richmond,” “Try It in a Small Town,” and “The Sound of Freedom” , has encouraged self-awareness of the need for financial support. Because cultural artifacts are part of being a good fan. “The Sound of Freedom” even encouraged fans to buy tickets for other moviegoers.
“This whole thing is out of anger at the music industry,” said Canadian rap provocateur Tom MacDonald. Tom McDonald has made digital download campaigns for songs like “Fake Woke” and “American Flags” an important part of his appeal and relationship with listeners. .
Achieving chart success with smart grassroots support is the ultimate rejection of mainstream gatekeepers, McDonald said. “I feel like we're standing in a room we're not supposed to be standing in right now, so let's go,” he added. “It became its own culture.”
audio creator Tully Abekasis.
