Radiowv

Last updated

Radiowv (sometimes styled radiowv [1] or RadioWV [2] ) is an American YouTube and TikTok music channel founded in 2018 [3] to promote artists from Appalachia and surroundings [4] that became more widely known in 2023 for videos by the country music artist Oliver Anthony. [5] Radiowv features unsigned Americana and country musicians with videos of them playing unplugged in country settings, [6] [7] [5] and is credited with “jumpstarting” some of its musicians' careers with the assistance of a so-called "Oliver Anthony Effect”. [8]

Contents

Radiowv was mired in lawsuits for most of 2023.

History

Radiovw claimed foundation by "two broke college students," later unveiled as Draven Riffe and John Price, who began posting videos in 2019. [9] [7] Riffe eventually became Oliver Anthony’s manager. [6] Radiowv solicited [1] Anthony to record the latter's first song ever to not be recorded on Anthony's mobile phone, "Rich Men North of Richmond", which Riffe of Radiowv recorded on Anthony's land. [10] Radiowv’s recording equipment was described as “very basic.” [11] Radiowv posted this first song in early August 2023 and in less than two weeks it had generated more than 24 million views. [6] Radiowv has published other Anthony material. [1]

Radiowv was the subject of disputes between its owner and a former partner which began in earnest in April 2023, when, according to Radiowv, the former partner locked the owner out of the Radiowv social media accounts, [12] leading to a lawsuit by Radiowv ownership in May of that year and a settlement in June which dissolved the partnership, among other agreements. In October, Radiowv sued the former partner, alleging, among others, the poaching of music recordings of the artist Jake Kohn. The former partner countersued in November, alleging royalty disputes, among other issues. [3]

As of August 2023 Radiowv had also signed with Logan Halstead from West Virginia, Drayton Farley from Alabama, and Nolan Taylor from Ohio; [13] by the end of the year, it had in addition posted videos by performers Charles Wesley Godwin, Cole Chaney, and Sydney Adams. [14] Radiowv is credited with helping drive millions of views to Halstead and Taylor, driving them to tour as performing artists, [15] and to sign up with recording labels. [4]

In late 2023, Taylor said Radiowv had “put a spotlight” on Appalachian musicians generally, promoting their careers. [16] In 2024, Anthony indicated that its most-listened-to songs of his were those recorded by Radiowv. [17]

Critical reception

The Tennessean described Radiowv as "an independent country tastemaker" in August of 2023. [13] Drew Magary wrote that generally "the channel has no discernible political bent". [7] At the end of the same year, Radiowv was declared “obscure”, prior to its 2023 hits. [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mountain Stage</i>

Mountain Stage is a two-hour music radio show, first aired in 1983, produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed worldwide by National Public Radio (NPR). Hosted by Larry Groce from the show's inception until 2021 and currently hosted by singer-songwriter and West Virginia native Kathy Mattea, the program showcases diverse music, from the traditional to modern. It is recorded before a live audience, usually at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia, but occasionally travels to other venues elsewhere in the United States. Major private funding is provided by the West Virginia-based law firm of Bailey & Glasser LLP and the West Virginia Tourism Office.

The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by Billboard magazine. Although it originally started tracking song sales the week of October 30, 2004, it officially debuted in the issue dated January 22, 2005, and merged all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors. Its data was incorporated in the Hot 100 three weeks later. Since October 2004, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboard's music singles charts. The decision was based on the dramatic increase of the digital market while commercial single sales in a physical format were becoming negligible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fudge Rounds</span> Round snack cake made by Little Debbie

Fudge Rounds are fudgy, round snack cakes made by the Little Debbie company. A Fudge Round consists of two chewy chocolate cookies with light brown fudge creme in between, and light brown fudge strips on top.

"Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis about a coal miner, based on life in the mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Travis first recorded the song at the Radio Recorders Studio B in Hollywood, California, on August 8, 1946. Cliffie Stone played bass on the recording. It was first released in July 1947 by Capitol on Travis's album Folk Songs of the Hills. The song became a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGH-FM</span> Country music radio station in Newport News, Virginia

WGH-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Newport News, Virginia, serving Hampton Roads. WGH-FM is owned and operated by Max Media and airs a country music radio format. It uses the branding "97.3 The Eagle".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jackson videography</span>

American singer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) debuted on the professional music scene at age five as a member of the American family music group The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still part of the group. Jackson promoted seven of his solo albums with music videos or, as he would refer to them, "short films". Some of them drew criticism for their violent and sexual elements while others were lauded by critics and awarded Guinness World Records for their length, success, and cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Story (Taylor Swift song)</span> 2008 single by Taylor Swift

"Love Story" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as the lead single from her second studio album, Fearless, on September 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by a boy who was unpopular with her family and friends, Swift wrote the song using William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference point. The lyrics narrate a troubled romance that ends with a marriage proposal, contrary to Shakespeare's tragic conclusion. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the midtempo country pop song includes a key change after the bridge and uses acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Virginia</span>

The Culture of Virginia refers to the distinct human activities and values that take place in or originate from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia's historic culture was popularized and spread across America by Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, and their homes represent Virginia as the birthplace of America. Modern Virginia culture has many heritages and is largely part of the culture of the Southern United States, however, Northern Virginia has become increasingly similar in culture to the Northeastern United States within the past few decades.

Vevo LLC is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, digital video recorders, digital media players and streaming television services. The service once offered a consumer mobile and tablet app; however this was shut down in May 2018 to allow the service to focus on its other platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyes Open (song)</span> 2012 single by Taylor Swift

"Eyes Open" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for The Hunger Games movie soundtrack, The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond, though the song is not included in the film itself. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it was released as the second single from the album and was sent to mainstream radio on March 27, 2012. A lyric video consisting of animation was released on Vevo in May 2012.

iHeartRadio Music Awards Music awards show, founded in 2016

The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platform. Founded by iHeartRadio in 2014, the event recognizes the most popular artists and music over the past year. Winners are chosen per cumulative performance data, while the public is able to vote in several categories.

Michael Ray Roach is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Warner Music Nashville. He has released two albums for the label: Michael Ray and Amos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Wanna Live Forever</span> 2016 single by Zayn and Taylor Swift

"I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is a song by the English singer Zayn and the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the soundtrack to the 2017 film Fifty Shades Darker. It was written by Swift, Sam Dew, and Jack Antonoff, who also produced the song. The single was released on December 9, 2016, by Republic Records to international commercial success. "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is a sultry electro-R&B and electropop ballad that sees Zayn and Swift exchange romantic overtures. Its accompanying music video was released on January 27, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joji (musician)</span> Japanese-American entertainer (born 1993)

George Kusunoki Miller, known professionally as Joji and formerly as Filthy Frank and Pink Guy, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Miller's music has been described as a mix between R&B, lo-fi, and trip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Childers</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1991)

Timothy Tyler Childers is an American singer and songwriter. His music is a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk. He released his breakout studio album Purgatory in August 2017. Childers has released six studio albums as well as many EPs and singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Anthony</span> American singer-songwriter

Christopher Anthony Lunsford, known professionally as Oliver Anthony Music, is an American country-folk singer-songwriter. In August 2023, he released the single "Rich Men North of Richmond" independently, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and made Lunsford the first artist to achieve this without any prior charting history in any form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Men North of Richmond</span> 2023 single by Oliver Anthony

"Rich Men North of Richmond" is a song by American singer Christopher Anthony Lunsford that was released in August 2023. The song became an overnight viral hit after gaining traction on social media. Within days of its release, it topped sales and streaming charts, and then debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Anthony the first artist to debut atop the chart without any prior chart history in any form. The song received praise from some conservatives and was discussed at a Republican presidential debate; in response, Anthony rejected attempts to "try to stick me in a political bucket" and described the song as a criticism of both Democratic and Republican politicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aint Gotta Dollar</span> 2022 single by Oliver Anthony

"Aint Gotta Dollar" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony, first uploaded to YouTube on September 10, 2022 and released to streaming services on September 21, 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Benitez-Eves, Tina (August 15, 2023). "Jamey Johnson Joins Viral Singer Oliver Anthony for Surprise Rendition of "In Color"". American Songwriter . radiowv, a YouTube channel [...] asked him if he would record "Rich Men North Of Richmond" [...] Several days after releasing his now-viral hit, Anthony also shared a performance of his song "Virginia" on the radiowv channel
  2. ↑ Friedersdorf, Conor. "The Misguided Debate Over "Rich Men North of Richmond"". The Atlantic . Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023. Oliver Anthony / RadioWV [from photo caption]
  3. 1 2 Chris Dickerson (13 December 2023). "Defendant files counterclaim in 'Rich Men North of Richmond' case". West Virginia Record . Retrieved 16 May 2024. In 2018, he says he began an online sponsorship-marketing effort to create video for West Virginia musicians. He decided to create YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages for this project he called radiowv […] a contract on June 6, 2023, to resolve their prior dispute that included granting Riffe exclusive right, title and ownership of RadioWV […]
  4. 1 2 DAVID BROWNE (17 November 2023). "Oliver Anthony Became a Symbol of Populist Rage. The Truth Is More Complex". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 16 May 2024. RadioWV, a YouTube channel devoted to off-the-grid country and folk singers in and around Appalachia […] RadioWV alumni, like Nolan Taylor, who recently signed a deal with Atlantic Records
  5. 1 2 Andrew, Scottie. "This little-known country song became a chart-topping anthem for conservatives almost overnight". CNN . Retrieved 17 August 2023. RadioWV, which films and shares outdoor performances by musicians in Appalachia [...] RadioWV shared the video on its YouTube and TikTok accounts
  6. 1 2 3 Nicholson, Jessica; Newman, Melinda (20 August 2023). "Oliver Anthony's Manager on the Viral Success of 'Rich Men North of Richmond' and Bigger Mission: 'God has Chosen to Speak Through Oliver': Exclusive". Billboard . Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Magary, Drew (16 August 2023). "Was 'Rich Men North of Richmond' planted by conservative media? Probably not". SFGATE . Retrieved 20 August 2023. radiowv, a music channel on YouTube that was, according to its bio, "created by two broke college students [...] Radiowv has been posting videos since 2019, and virtually all of the people they've showcased are similar to Anthony: talented young artists playing unplugged in a rustic setting [...] most every other song featured on the channel has no discernible political bent
  8. ↑ ( Wickstrom 2023 ): "countless artists featured on the channel […] massive leaps in the view counts on their respective videos, streaming pages and more in what's affectionately been dubbed the "Oliver Anthony Effect" […] has netted over 7 million views helping to jumpstart the young artist's career"
  9. ↑ ( Wickstrom 2023 ): " RadioWV, a video platform launched by Draven Riffe and John Price"
  10. ↑ Blair, Alex (18 August 2023). "Overnight sensation Oliver Anthony reveals why he turned down $12.5 million deal". News Corp Australia . Retrieved 20 August 2023. Draven from RadioWv and I filmed these tunes on my land
  11. ↑ Melinda Newman (14 November 2023). "Oliver Anthony Music on 2024 World Tour, If He's Endorsing a Presidential Candidate & Why He's 'Never Going to be in Nashville Co-Writing'". Billboard (magazine) . Retrieved 16 May 2024. "the radiowv videos used very basic equipment, so I had never had anything recorded with studio-quality equipment"
  12. ↑ Amber Baker (24 November 2023). ""Rich Men" singer Oliver Anthony's success a key factor in West Virginia civil lawsuit". WTRF-TV (ABC-7). Retrieved 16 May 2024. […] Riffe says that Price changed the passwords to radiowv's social media accounts and email and removed his account credentials […]
  13. 1 2 Dowling, Marcus K. (21 August 2023). "Inside Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' and its path to Billboard's Hot 100 chart". The Tennessean . Retrieved 21 August 2023– via MSN. Radio WV YouTube channel has become an independent country tastemaker in recent months, co-signing the work of Charleston, West Virginia's Logan Halstead, Alabama native Drayton Farley and Cincinnati, Ohio's Nolan Taylor
  14. ↑ ( Wickstrom 2023 ): "RadioWV has posted dozens of videos that include performances by everyone from Charles Wesley Godwin to Drayton Farley, Cole Chaney, Sydney Adams and Logan Halstead"
  15. ↑ ( Wickstrom 2023 ): "Halstead told Wide Open Country […] "I was a nobody until that video popped off […] I left my house and began traveling around playing music […] Nolan Taylor […] Another artist grateful for the exposure provided by RadioWV is Southwest Ohio's Nolan Taylor […] 3 million views […] The Grand Ole Opry, where he made his debut on Nov. 25"
  16. ↑ ( Wickstrom 2023 ): ""RadioWV has put such a spotlight on our region in a way that hasn't been spotlighted before," says Taylor. "A lot of artists are coming out of Appalachia right now"
  17. ↑ Chris Willman (29 March 2024). "Oliver Anthony to Release Dave Cobb-Produced Debut Album on Easter Sunday". Variety . Retrieved 16 May 2024. nearly all the songs that my fans listen to outside of the RadioWv session from August of 2023" — i.e., the outdoor "Rich Men" session seen on video — "are those Android recordings I recorded
  18. ↑ Michael Schwarz (21 December 2023). "Video: Oliver Anthony Shares Powerful Bible Verse Before Grand Ole Opry Debut". MSN . Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024. appeared on the obscure radiowv YouTube channel on Aug. 8. Within days, it became a mega-hit

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.