Who Is Oliver Anthony, The Viral Singer Of The Rich Men North Oftechnese Song And Why Is He Controversial?

Oliver Anthony (YouTube screenshot)

JAKARTA - Country singer Oliver Anthony made headlines recently after his song, Rich Men North Ofair, was criticized as a "right wing song" and labeled "offensive".

In the eight days since its release, the song has reached the No.1 position on the iTunes Country charts and has been watched more than 17 million times on YouTube, and has jumped to Number One on Apple Music's Global Music Charter.

In a statement, Anthony said he would not rush to sign a record contract, and had rejected several offers.

"People in the music industry gave me an empty look when I turned down an 8 million dollar offer," he wrote on Facebook.

"I don't want six tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and jets. I don't want to play a stadium show, I don't want to be in the spotlight."

He continued: I wrote the music I wrote because I had mental health and depression. These songs have been connected to millions of people at such deep levels because they were sung by someone who felt the words right when the song was sung. No editing, no agents, no nonsense.

"Only an investor and his guitar. The style of music that we should never have left was from the start."

"This is everything we know about the singer and why he caused controversy," quoted from various sources.

Who is Oliver Anthony?

Anthony is a former factory worker and farmer, who later decided to become a country singer.

"Nothing special about me," he wrote recently on Facebook. "I'm not a good musician, I'm not a really cool person. I've spent the last five years struggling with mental health and using alcohol to drown him.

I'm sad to see the world in a state like this, where everyone fights each other. I've spent a lot of nights feeling desperate, that the largest country on Earth quickly fades away.

Last weekend (August 13), he held his first public concert since his song went viral, and seems to have attracted a lot of people to his show in North Carolina.

In a recent tweet, the singer said she was "shocked by the outpouring of love I saw in comments, messages and emails".

Why is Oliver Anthony controversial?

After its release, the song Rich Kid North Oftech was praised on social media by far-right media figures including Dan Bongino and Matt Walsh. Representatives of the Republic of Marjorie Taylor Greene, meanwhile, described it as "an forgotten American national anthem that truly supports this nation and unfortunately the world".

The song was also criticized for "fatphobic" and labeled "right winger song".

Listening to the song can initially be interpreted as a worker-class national anthem, as he sings "single" my soul for bullsshit pay. He also denounces politicians and rich men north of story who just have total control.

The song not only raises social problems such as homelessness and the country's mental health crisis, but also features Anthony suppressing the welfare of fat milkers through words if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds / Taxes ught not to pay for your bags of budget rounds.

Meanwhile, The Guardian said it was "unsurprisingly" that the far right liked this song, while The Independent asked whether "The Republican song should be as bad as Oliver Anthony's Rich Men North of total hit?"

Rich Men North of Richmond has been uploaded to all major streaming platforms and will show up there in a few days.Im still in a state of shock at the outpouring of love I've seen in the comments, messages and emails. I'm working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/iScaYp9AWQ

— Oliver Anthony (@AintGottaDollar) August 11, 2023

Rich Men North ofURE has been uploaded to all major streaming platforms and will show up there in a few days. Im still in a state of shock at the outgoing of love I've seen in the comments, messages and emails. I'm working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/iScaYp9AWQ