Through the first Republican presidential candidate debate in Wisconsin this week, Fox performed a snippet of the shock chart-topper, during which Anthony sings in regards to the burden of taxes, the pains of “working all day” for poor pay, and the “wealthy males north of Richmond” who “simply wanna have complete management.”
Presenter Martha MacCallum then requested the candidates onstage why “Wealthy Males” was “hanging such a nerve” with folks.
Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis replied: “Our nation is in decline. This decline just isn’t inevitable, it’s a alternative. We have to ship Joe Biden again to his basement and reverse American decline.”
However in his YouTube video, Anthony disputed that he was “combating the identical battle” because the conservative politicians onstage. “That music has nothing to do with Joe Biden, ?” he mentioned. “It’s lots larger than Joe Biden. That music was written in regards to the folks on that stage and much more, not simply them.”
Such feedback recommend that Anthony — a little-known singer earlier than “Wealthy Males North of Richmond” went viral this month, racking up greater than 42 million views on YouTube and hitting the highest of the Billboard Hot 100 chart — doesn’t essentially align with Republicans who wish to flip his music’s reputation into votes for his or her occasion.
No less than one Fox Information journalist, nevertheless, has instructed Anthony gave the community approval to play the music on the debate. Host Bret Baier told Politico they “tracked him down” and came upon “two days earlier than the talk that we received approval.”
Republicans equivalent to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia have labeled his music an “anthem of the forgotten People,” whereas Kari Lake, former Republican candidate for Arizona governor, said the music offers her “chills” including that “it’s uncooked, it’s true, & it’s touching the hearts of males & girls throughout this nice nation.”
However Anthony has beforehand described himself as sitting “fairly useless middle down the aisle” politically. In a statement posted to Fb after his truck-cab video made headlines, he clarified that he was not a Biden supporter both. He mentioned his music criticized “company owned D.C. politicians on each side. … It’s knocking the system collectively.”
Artists such because the Rolling Stones, Adele and Neil Younger have beforehand lamented their music being utilized by former president Donald Trump whereas Sam Moore (of the musical duo Sam & Dave) referred to as out then Sen. Barack Obama for utilizing his music “Maintain On, I’m Comin’.”
“Musicians have lengthy complained about their music being appropriated by Presidential contenders,” John Road, emeritus professor of politics, philosophy, language and communication research at College of East Anglia, mentioned in an e mail Saturday. “As to the music itself, it strikes me in sound and lyrics as a part of a really lengthy custom of protest songs.”
Anthony’s sudden rise from obscurity to fame has sparked intense curiosity — in addition to skepticism in regards to the singer’s anti-establishment popularity. “Wealthy Males” gained traction on-line partly as a consequence of right-wing influencers selecting it up on completely different platforms, whereas critics picked up on obvious nods to conspiracy theories within the lyrics.
His music additionally stoked controversy with these on the political left, who accused some lyrics of dehumanizing poor folks: “Lord, we received people on the street, ain’t received nothin’ to eat/And the overweight milkin’ welfare.”
Anthony touched on the criticism in his YouTube video, saying “I see the left attempting to discredit me, I suppose in retaliation.” He denied claims his music was “an assault in opposition to the poor” saying “all of my songs that reference class defend the poor,” and that his lyrics focused “the inefficiencies of the federal government.”
Anthony, who has beforehand described himself as “not a very good musician” and “not an excellent individual,” appeared amused by the extent of sudden curiosity — from media retailers, music producers and commentators — in him and his music.
In a Friday night statement on X, previously generally known as Twitter, he reiterated he didn’t help both political occasion, after which joked: “Now, go breath some contemporary air and loosen up. Please? 🙂 I’m not value obsessing over, I promise.”
