Given his past comments and behavior, Oliver Anthony is far from predictable. Frankly, many might even consider him to be a country music wild card. That being so, Anthony perpetuated that narrative recently by crawling into a coal mine and covering Blake Shelton’s “Ol’ Red” for some of the minors in attendance.
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If one is familiar with Anthony and his message, you know his selection to perform in a coal mine isn’t all that surprising. Not only is it totally on-brand with his persona, but also perfectly fits in the lyrical world he toils in. However, the song selection is rather surprising, and well, many can probably surmise as to why that exactly is. Nonetheless, the performance sits in stark juxtaposition to the modern world of country music, and that is seemingly what Oliver Anthony was trying to achieve with it.
Oliver Anthony in The Coal Mines of West Virginia
Oliver Anthony played his set for a group of coal miners in Laeger, West Virginia. The exact date of the performance is unknown, however, when he posted the performance on YouTube on January 1, 2024, he wrote a statement of homage to the hard workers. He wrote in the post, “We were recently able to come pay our respects to a great crew of underground coal miners in Laeger, WV.”
Joining Anthony was renowned fiddle player, Billy Contreas, who is most notably decorated for his work in the folk and bluegrass genres. Everything about the performance was completely aligned with Anthony’s values. Although, the song selection has been surprising to fans and viewers across the country. And well, it’s for a rather simple reason—Anthony has been incredibly vocal about his distaste for contemporary country music.
“This man has so much soul and power in his voice it’s unbelievable! It’s like he’s singing from the broken souls that want too but can’t,” one fan wrote.
Another listener praised Anthony, writing “You know why I like you and support your music? It’s not because you can sing, play the guitar like no other, or come up with great songs. There are plenty of other artists that can do that too. It’s because you stayed true to who you are and didn’t sell out for the almighty dollar. Just like almost every single person has in the music industry.”
Anthony’s Skills Shine Through
As of recent, Oliver Anthony has been racking the modern-day country music industry over the coals. Specifically, he has been taking shots at certain musicians and schools of thought, and consequently, everybody knows what side he falls on. That being so, why did he choose a Blake Shelton song? Well, lyrically, the song is a masterpiece ballad and directly aligns with the subject matter Anthony typically sings about. Nonetheless, to some, this might seem a bit hypocritical.
Comments and song selection aside, this is a phenomenal cover and is performed in the perfect venue. So, for once, maybe take this at face value and just enjoy the music.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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