Less than one year after making his historical debut from somewhere deep in Virginia, Oliver Anthony released his first full-length studio album, ‘Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind,’ on Easter weekend 2024. The release comes on the heels of a wave of polarized political attention that saw Anthony’s debut become a weapon of the right—and a point of contention to the left.
His first album is an expected mix of blue-collar, Christian imagery that appeals to the Appalachian community from which he came. In some ways, he moves away from the polarizing narratives that caused “Rich Men North of Richmond” to stir up so much controversy in the summer of 2023. And in other noticeable ways, he hasn’t.
Videos by American Songwriter
A Voice For the Underpaid, Addiction-Riddled Working Class
Oliver Anthony caught the upswing in Southern Americana’s popularity with his August 2023 debut, “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Clad in a t-shirt in the middle of the Virginia woods, Anthony seemed to sing directly to an underpaid, overworked, largely discontented populace unhappy with their world’s political and social climate.
A native to Appalachia, where “diseases of despair” like drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic liver disease are higher than anywhere else in the country, Anthony’s voice rang true for a large sect of the working class. The track’s stats spoke for themselves. Within a week of its debut, “Rich Men North of Richmond” rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Anthony the first artist to receive such an accolade with no prior Billboard history.
His first studio album, ‘Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind,’ continues the narrative of his breakout single. The album swings from the lamenting of an opioid addict to blue-collar worker woes. Anthony sprinkles Bible verses throughout the record, further appealing to the Christian masses. (The decision to release the album on Easter was not coincidental.)
Oliver Anthony’s Initial Reaction To His Debut’s Backlash
As Oliver Anthony learned in late 2023, overnight fame doesn’t come without consequence. “Rich Men North of Richmond” soon became a divisive talking point in the political realm. Christian, conservative groups lauded Anthony for his down-home messaging. Lyrics like, It’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to for people like me, people like you, validated listeners who were unhappy with their representative politicians, the government, and society at large.
Meanwhile, secular, leftist groups condemned Anthony for what they believed was a deeper polarization of the working class. They denounced lyrics like And the obese milkin’ welfare…if you’re five foot three and you’re three hundred pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Rounds, as unhelpful and unproductive. They accused Anthony of pandering and, in doing so, pitting one group of underpaid workers against another.
The controversy was not lost on Anthony. In a YouTube video published on August 25, 2023, Anthony said, “The one thing that has bothered me [about the song’s reception] is seeing people wrap politics up into this. I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own, and I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess, in retaliation. That s***’s gotta stop.”
The Polarization Pushed Into His First Studio Album
Oliver Anthony’s album debut diverges from the political rhetoric that propelled him into such staggering notoriety overnight. In “Always Love You Like a Good Old Dog,” he offers an apolitical, backwoods love song. In “VCR Kid,” Anthony hits on an emotional, nostalgic musing of childhood joy compared to adulthood strife. These ideas expound on facets of human existence untouched by the political realm, no matter which camp you find yourself on.
But Anthony hasn’t erased the essence of “Rich Men” completely. In “Doggonit,” he revisits the same “disgruntled American” narrative as his debut hit. Anthony opines about the shift away from livestock consumption, singing that people would rather eat bugs than pigs. One chorus later, he seemingly places green energy initiatives in direct opposition to the well-being of the workers in non-renewable energy production, like coal. (Workers who, ironically, stand to suffer greater health risks by pushing against these green initiatives and continuing mining.)
Of course, all art is a means of sparking conversation. Even the inclusion of spoken Bible verses could be enough to give a secular listener pause. While it’s clear that Anthony has tried to broaden his audience with his first studio album, he may not be out of the woods just yet regarding the inevitable politicization of his music.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
