Country singer Oliver Anthony, known for his viral hit "Rich Men North of Richmond," has strongly criticized Beyoncé's country album COWBOY CARTER in a recent YouTube video, particularly targeting her cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene."
In the 15-minute video titled "What I've Learned from the Music Industry So Far...," Anthony revealed that his management team wanted him to publicly praise Beyoncé's album as part of a marketing strategy, which he firmly rejected.
"One of the guys I worked with wanted me to make some stupid post about Beyoncé's country album, about how it was good, even though it was complete trash," Anthony stated in the video. He described attempting to listen to Beyoncé's version of "Jolene" as "total cringe."
The singer, who topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 2023, used the incident to illustrate broader criticisms of the music industry's marketing tactics. He expressed frustration with what he sees as inauthentic social media practices, where posts are often written by management teams rather than artists themselves.
This criticism comes as Anthony announces his plans to step back from the mainstream music industry to focus on traveling ministry work, though he intends to continue making music independently. Meanwhile, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER has achieved significant commercial success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featuring collaborations with country music icons like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.
Anthony's comments have sparked discussion about authenticity in country music and the intersection of different musical genres, as Beyoncé's country album continues to receive both acclaim and criticism from various corners of the industry.