Rising Star with Red Beard Tops Billboard Hot 100 Chart with Powerful Message

Unknown Songwriter Oliver Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond" Surpasses Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo

In a surprising turn of events, a young man with a fiery red beard has taken the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with just his guitar and voice. Oliver Anthony (31), an unknown songwriter hailing from a factory worker background, achieved the remarkable feat with his song "Rich Men North of Richmond," surpassing tracks from well-known artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.

The song, which begins with a soliloquy of a laborer lamenting the inability to escape a pitiful life despite working tirelessly, gained initial attention on YouTube earlier this month. Its lyrics, criticizing unrealistic welfare policies that don't benefit workers and the politicians behind them, resonated strongly and spread rapidly.

Dubbed the "Anthem of the American Conservative Base," this song in the beloved country genre, particularly cherished by white audiences in the southern and central United States, garnered over 32 million views on its YouTube video within just 12 days of its release on the 9th.

"Endorsed by influential conservative figures like Jack Posobiec and Jason Whitlock, this song has been praised for its simple melody and its ability to evoke empathy among the laboring class," stated music critics.

The enthusiasm of the conservative base translated into increased sales. During the ranking period, the song achieved 147,000 downloads and 17.5 million streams. This far surpasses even the 2nd place single on the overall chart, Luke Combs' "Fast Car," which had less than one-tenth of the downloads.

According to Billboard, this marks Anthony's debut at the top of any chart as a singer who previously hadn't made a name for himself in any chart.

Analysts commented, "With its origins, ideological intentions, and lyrics loaded with criticism of deceptive welfare policies and hypocritical politicians, the controversy-driven song has successfully positioned itself at the heart of the zeitgeist and at the top of the charts."

Hailing from Virginia, born Christopher Anthony Lansford, the singer adopted his stage name in honor of his grandfather, Oliver Anthony. He introduced himself as a high school dropout who faced difficulties due to depression and alcohol abuse, describing himself as "just a fool strumming a guitar."

After leaving high school, he took on odd jobs and currently lives freely in the woodland region of Virginia's Piedmont area.

Recently declining a $8 million contract proposal (approximately 107 billion Korean won) from the industry, he became a subject of intrigue, stating, "I'm not interested in becoming famous." Despite being hailed for resonating with the emotions of white conservative laborers, Anthony revealed that his political inclination is actually moderate.