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Rich Men North of Richmond

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"Rich Men North of Richmond"
Single by Oliver Anthony
ReleasedAugust 7, 2023 (2023-08-07)
GenreCountry
Length3:07
LabelSelf-released
Songwriter(s)Oliver Anthony
Producer(s)Oliver Anthony
Music video
"Rich Men North of Richmond" on YouTube

"Rich Men North of Richmond" is a song by American country music singer Oliver Anthony that was released in August 2023. The song became an overnight viral hit after gaining traction on social media.[1][2]

Background and content

The song was first uploaded to YouTube on August 7, 2023,[3] and the video received over 5 million views in its first three days.[2] Prior to the song's success, Anthony was not a well-known musician, and he had previously self-recorded songs on his cell phone.[4] "Rich Men North of Richmond" was Anthony's first professionally recorded song.[5]

In a video explaining his songwriting, Anthony claimed that his lyrics are attempting to speak for the working class and that he aspires to be a "voice for those people", noting that "whatever it is they're doing, they can't quite get ahead".[6] Anthony has described his politics as "dead center".[3]

Themes of the song include inflation ("dollar ain't shit"), high taxes ("taxed to no end"), child trafficking ("minors on an island") and welfare abuse ("and the obese milkin' welfare").[2][3][7][8] A reference to politicians "looking out for minors on an island somewhere" led to accusations that Anthony was referencing the QAnon conspiracy theory, which revolves around the belief that politicians and Hollywood elites engage in child sex trafficking and other child abuse.[8][7][9]

Reception

Shortly after its release, the song became popular among conservatives.[5][8] It was praised by Republican House representative Marjorie Taylor Greene,[2] country singer John Rich, podcaster Joe Rogan, and conservative commentators Dan Bongino and Matt Walsh.[10][11]

Musician and commentator Winston Marshall praised the song in an op-ed for The Spectator as a "raw original tune... that decries the powers that be in DC, elite pedophiles and the plight of ordinary working Americans" which "has resonated like a national guitar with music-loving Americans starved for something authentic".[7][12] Conservative National Review's executive editor Mark Antonio Wright criticized the song's lyrics, arguing that "if you're a fit, able-bodied man, and you’re working 'overtime hours for bullshit pay,' you need to find a new job.", concluding that Anthony "should consider singing about what makes America a great land — a land of opportunity, not of guaranteed success."[13][7]

Describing the song as "a passionate screed against the state of the country", Rolling Stone writer Joseph Hudak also thought that Anthony delves into "Reagan-era talking points about welfare".[10] Marshall criticized Rolling Stone's coverage of the song, saying that "the magazine went with the headline 'Right Wing Influencers Just Found Their Favorite New Country Song,' opting to demean his success by making their story about his listeners. Half the country are deplorables, lest we forget."[12] Jay Caspian Kang wrote in The New Yorker that "Depending on your politics, [Anthony] is either a voice sent from Heaven to express the anger of the white working class, or he is a wholly constructed viral creation who has arrived to serve up resentment with a thick, folksy lacquering of Americana."[14] Detractors of the song have accused its lyrics of revolving around right-wing talking points, with progressives speculating if Anthony is an "industry plant."[7] Some have criticized the song for its line about "the obese milkin' welfare", calling the line "fatphobic" and claiming that it draws on negative stereotypes about welfare recipients.[15][1]

The song was likened to "Try That in a Small Town" by Jason Aldean, a country song popular among conservatives that was previously in the top spot on the iTunes Country Chart until ousted by "Rich Men North of Richmond".[2][4] The song also reached the top three on Spotify a few days after doing so on iTunes.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Chilton, Louis (August 16, 2023). "Viral 'right-wing anthem' by country singer Oliver Anthony branded 'offensive'". The Independent. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rosen, Evan (August 12, 2023). "'Rich Men North of Richmond' becomes new right-wing, blue-collar anthem". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Nicholson, Jessica (August 12, 2023). "'Rich Men North of Richmond' Viral Hitmaker Oliver Anthony: 5 Things You Need to Know". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Keates, Emma (August 14, 2023). "What is "Rich Men North of Richmond" and why is it suddenly everywhere?". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Yang, Angela (August 14, 2023). "How an obscure country artist's viral song became a conservative anthem". NBC News. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Geller, Wendy (August 13, 2023). "Who Is Oliver Anthony? What to Know About the 'Rich Men North of Richmond' Viral Hitmaker". The Messenger. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e Willman, Chris (August 15, 2023). "Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' Is an Instant Smash Among Conservatives, While Progressives Wonder if He's a 'Plant'". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Cantor, Matthew (August 16, 2023). "Rich Men North of Richmond punches down. No surprise the right wing loves it". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ^ Piper, Ernie (August 15, 2023). "Newfound right-wing country music celeb Oliver Anthony kept YouTube playlist with 9/11 truther videos". The Daily Dot. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Hudak, Joseph (August 11, 2023). "Right-Wing Influencers Just Found Their Favorite New Country Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Currand, Colleen (August 14, 2023). "Farmville singer Oliver Anthony goes viral with 'Rich Men North of Richmond'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Marshall, Winston (August 14, 2023). "Oliver Anthony and the sorry state of Rolling Stone". The Spectator. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Wright, Mark Antonio (August 14, 2023). "Oliver Anthony's Fuzzy Lament". National Review. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  14. ^ Kang, Jay Caspian (August 15, 2023). "A Close Listen to "Rich Men North of Richmond"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  15. ^ Murray, Conor (August 16, 2023). "Controversial 'Rich Men North Of Richmond'—Oliver Anthony's Hit Song Championed By The Right—Explained". Forbes. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  16. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (August 16, 2023). "Is Oliver Anthony the Greatest Threat to Morgan Wallen Making Hot 100 History?". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023. has risen to the top three on both Spotify and Apple Music's daily tallies
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