A new country music star is emerging.
Oliver Anthony, who lives in Farmville, Virginia, was virtually an unknown last week. That all changed when his anti-government song “Rich Men North of Richmond” was posted Tuesday to YouTube, where it quickly has racked up millions of views.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
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Now the song holds the No. 1 position on iTunes music — but that’s not all for the factory worker turned singer.
On Friday, Anthony claimed four additional spots in the top 25.
And as of Saturday?
He held a whopping nine of those spots. And four of them were within the top 10 — “Aint Gotta Dollar” at No. 2, “Ive Got to Get Sober” at No. 5, and “I Want to go Home” at No. 9 in addition to “Rich Men North of Richmond” at No. 1.
Anthony also rolled in at No. 14 and 15, respectively, with “Virginia” and “Rich Mans Gold.”
He also was steamrolling through the No. 19, 21 and 22 spots with “Feeling Purdy Good,” “Stuck Living in the New World” and “Always Love You (Like a Good Ole Dog).”
In response to his new-found music success, the Virginian took to his new X account, previously known as Twitter, on Thursday to express his disbelief.
“Im still in a state of shock at the outpouring of love I’ve seen in the comments, messages and emails,” Anthony wrote. “I’m working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible.”
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
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 10, 2023
And if you happen to be in Currituck, North Carolina, on Sunday, Anthony announced on X he will play a free show at a farmers market.
“Many more shows to follow,” the singer added. “Don’t stress it if it’s a long drive for you.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
