Rising star Oliver Anthony owns both the conversation when it comes to music and the Billboard charts this week. The singer-songwriter’s presence is felt across several rankings, thanks to the resounding success of his breakout single, “Rich Men North of Richmond.” With an impressive debut at the pinnacle of the Hot 100, Anthony manages to etch his name in history in a number of ways. Sadly, his achievement comes at a cost for one of the members of what might be the most globally popular band today.
The power of “Rich Men North of Richmond” is undeniable, and its meteoric rise to No. 1 on the Hot 100 can largely be attributed to its exceptional sales performance. In just the past tracking week, the song managed to sell slightly over 147,000 copies—a figure robust enough to guarantee its leading status on the Hot 100. That sum is also big enough to secure the top spot on the Digital Song Sales chart, a ranking of the bestselling tracks in the United States.
Meanwhile, BTS member V makes his presence felt on the Digital Song Sales chart as well, debuting not one, but two tracks in close proximity to the top. The K-pop sensation’s singles, “Love Me Again” and “Rainy Days,” make their entrance at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
Despite their solid showing, with the former selling just under 16,000 copies and the latter almost exactly 13,000, these figures aren’t quite large enough to clinch the top position. When a song goes massively viral, it’s tough for anyone to beat it, and even one of the seven singers from BTS couldn’t top the eyebrow-raising “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
The success of “Rich Men North of Richmond” only tells part of the story of Anthony’s dominance. As listeners discovered the newcomers emerging talent, they demonstrated their support by streaming and purchasing his other tracks as well. Consequently, his other tune, “Ain’t Gotta Dollar,” occupies the No. 2 position on the charts, with nearly 17,000 copies sold.
The meteoric ascent of “Rich Men North of Richmond” can be traced back to a performance video of the song that went viral slightly over a week ago. The song’s themes and, at times, controversial lyrics resonated strongly with conservative and right-wing voters, prompting a rush of support. This surge in popularity translated into robust sales.
Unfortunately, this timing did not bode well for BTS’s V, who is embarking on his solo journey. His two singles hail from his forthcoming debut solo EP, Layover, slated for release in September. During almost any other week, “Love Me Again” would have had a better shot at hitting No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, but not this time around.
V almost secured a second leader, as he topped the tally in 2022 with “Christmas Tree,” but it seems he’ll have to wait until his next single, “Slow Dancing,” arrives in early September to make a play for the summit once more.
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