Conservative personalities are speaking out on behalf of “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony.
The song has not only resonated as a working-class anthem with millions but has been embraced by conservative voices including political commentators Matt Walsh and Dan Bongino and singer-songwriter John Rich.
As of Monday, Mr. Anthony had three of the top songs on the iTunes Charts with “Rich Men North of Richmond” at number one, “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” at number two, followed by “I’ve Got to Get Sober.”
“The main reason this song resonates with so many people isn’t political. It’s because the song is raw and authentic. We are suffocated by artificiality,” Mr. Walsh wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Everything around us is fake. A guy in the woods pouring his heart over his guitar is real.”
Podcaster Joe Rogan has also embraced the tune as has Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Criticism by Legacy Media
Still, the support for Mr. Anthony’s music has been criticized by some media outlets like Rolling Stone.The outlet on Friday posted a story titled, “Right-Wing Influencers Just Found Their Favorite New Country Song” with a sub-headline, “In ‘Rich Men North of Richmond,’ a singing farmer in Virginia blasts high taxes and obese people on welfare, and even appears to allude to Jeffrey Epstein.”
The article begins by saying, “Right-wing influencers are losing their minds over a new country song that just appeared on streaming services today,” and goes on to describe “Rich Men North of Richmond” as a “passionate screed against the state of the country sung by Oliver Anthony, who identifies as a farmer living off the grid with his three dogs in Farmville, Virginia.”
Rolling Stone is generally considered a left-leaning publication that is supposedly staffed by writers who claim to be sensitive to working class issues.
The piece describes the song as “politically charged” and goes on to note that it wasn’t until its recently released video that it caught the attention of “conservative personalities.” It also said that examining the lyrics may suggest why the song “is appealing to right-wing influencers,” noting that Mr. Anthony “rails against high taxes and the value of the dollar, but also wades into some Reagan-era talking points about welfare.”
The publication says Mr. Anthony’s “real head-turner” is “an “apparent allusion to Jeffrey Epstein’s Caribbean island, where the billionaire and convicted sex offender allegedly introduced underage girls to powerful associates.”
The lyrics state: “I wish politicians would look out for miners/And not just minors on an island somewhere.”
Recent Support for Jason Aldean
The scenario has been likened to the recent support thrown behind Jason Aldean and his song “Try That In A Small Town” after media outlets and some social media criticized it describing it as having “racist and pro-gun lyrics.”Country music singers Brantley Gilbert and Cody Johnson joined Army veteran and host of the “Dear America” podcast Graham Allen, as well as other veteran artists Ted Nugent, Travis Tritt, John Rich, and Lee Greenwood who all spoke out in defense of Mr. Aldean after Country Music Television (CMT) pulled his music video for the song.
Meanwhile, Mr. Anthony performed a free concert in Barco, North Carolina, Sunday afternoon, drawing a crowd of thousands and signing autographs for hours afterwards. He noted the larger crowd since his last time at the venue. Country star Jamey Johnson made a surprise appearance during the show.
“It’s crazy for me because I remember back in June I played here for about 20 people. That’s the beautiful part of this country because even an idiot like me can make something,” he said.
“Ya'll filled 25 acres with cars for the first-ever gig,” Mr. Anthony posted to X. “I am so proud to be a part of this moment in history. Thanks to everyone who stayed after for photos and to tell me your story. It means more than words can describe.”
