“Rich Men North of Richmond” by previously unknown singer Oliver Anthony debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Listeners streamed it 17.5 million times and bought 147,000 downloads in the tracking week ending August 17. Mr. Anthony wasn’t with any major label; he’s gone from a few hundred dollars in weekly royalties to more than $350,000 in one week.

The song’s rise was greatly assisted by conservatives on X (formerly Twitter), most notably, influencer Jack Posobiec, The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, and black Christian Jason Whitlock. Still, the song would not have caught on if people didn’t organically take to its message. Right-of-center memes and content seem to spread more quickly since Elon Musk took over, though white advocates mostly remain banned and explicit pro-white content seems muzzled. The episode, however, is a reminder of the way culture can change if speech remains even partially free.

Don't even remember the last time a new song hit me like this

Be a shame if this anthem went absolutely viral

Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North of Richmond (FULL) pic.twitter.com/Qxm98Op9KI

— Jack Poso