Why Are Controversial Country Songs Dominating the Charts?

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like the internet’s most popular song was a screwy, satirical ode to ’90s Eurodance. (R.I.P. song of the summer contender “Planet of the Bass.”)

Now, the No. 1 entry across Billboard and other music charts this week, an unexpectedly viral song called “Rich Men North of Richmond,” tells a completely different story. It’s a tale of two Americas, you could say.

On Aug. 21, a formerly unknown, independent country singer named Oliver Anthony landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rich Men North of Richmond,” dethroning fellow country crooner Morgan Wallen’s record-breaking single “Last Night.” Not only was it the first song the Virginia native had recorded on a professional microphone, but it was also the first time an artist who had never previously shown up on any Billboard chart debuted in the top spot.

Read more at The Daily Beast.