"Oliver Anthony is the name we know him by. He’s the viral music sensation from Virginia who wrote the overnight hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a song that’s struck a chord with the American working man and become an anthem against Washington, D.C. political elites.\
"By all accounts, Mr. Anthony seems to be a patriotic, Christian young man leading a simple life filled with hard work and faith. He’s transitioned from factory work to outside sales and clearly has a passion and talent for music. Yet, beyond these facts, we don’t know much about Mr. Anthony. That is, until now.
"The artist goes by “Oliver,” but that’s not his actual name. He recently took to Facebook to open up about his real identity. He’s shared how this unexpected fame has affected his life, both in thrilling and daunting ways. Oliver has also offered some candid insights into his faith, music, the opportunities coming his way, and his intentions for this sudden success. It’s a captivating tale with some truly unexpected twists and turns." . . .
Comment by a reader of this post:
That's absolutely it. So much of today's music would better be described as assembled by technicians rather than performed by musicians. Quantization and pitch correction, etc. have advanced to the point that any competent editor can cobble together a passable song with recordings from even the most talentless hacks. All you need for a hit song these days is a catchy hook and a pretty face. The lyrics are tailored by committee to appeal to their target audience. They're either completely bland and inoffensive, or else they go to the other extreme and fill them with profanity and filth just for the shock value. It's mediocre by design. Studio execs want you to hear it, buy it, listen to it a few times, and then get completely bored with it so you'll be ready to buy the next bit of insipid drool. That all comes crumbling down as soon as you compare it to a real song like this one, though. The fact it's just (in his own words) "some idiot and his guitar" and not some mind-blowing virtuosic performance just makes it even more threatening. That's the main reason all these studios are slithering up to him now. Sure, they'd love to get the profits from his debut album and maybe a follow up or two, but mainly they want to suppress him. They'd happily let him be the flavor of the month every once in a while, but they don't want him constantly reminding everyone how inferior their products are. Best of luck to you, Mr. Anthony. Stay free.
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