All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

It’s almost Jerzday! A new episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation drops on Thursday (Aug. 24) at 8 p.m. on MTV.

For the second part of season six, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola returns to the cast which includes Pauly D, Mike Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick. Ronnie Ortiz-Magro also returns this season.

Read on for ways to watch and stream for free.

How to Watch Jersey Shore: Family Vacation From Anywhere

The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

Season six is already off to a good start in the ratings race. The premiere episode gave the series its highest ratings in over four years, Deadline reports. New episodes will premiere weekly.

Can you watch MTV live without cable? Yes! Subscribe to streamers like Philo, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream to watch MTV and dozens of other cable and local channels live and on-demand for free for up to a week. Fubo and DirecTV Stream’s plans start at $74.99/month after a free trial and you can stream at least 75 channels.

Philo offers one of the most affordable streaming options at $25/month after a one-week free trial. Stream 70+ cable channels including MTV, VH1, BET, WE tv, Food Network, Lifetime, Paramount Network, OWN, Nickelodeon and TLC.

You can also stream older episodes of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on demand via Paramount+ (free trial included).

Paramount+ is $5.99/month/ for ad-supported streaming and $11.99/month to stream commercial free on Paramount+ and Showtime. Plans start at $2.99/month for 12 months with code: SPORTS (offer end on Sept. 20).

You can also purchase episodes of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on platforms such as Prime Video, iTunes and Google Play.

Buy: Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 6

The reality show is available on other streamers that offer MTV in the channel lineup such as Vidgo and Hulu + Live TV (use ExpressVPN to stream internationally).

Watch a clip from last week’s episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation below.

Morgan Wade recently opened up about her friendship — emphasis on friendship — with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards and put the ongoing dating rumors to rest.

The country singer revealed to People that she had never heard of Richards before the reality TV star posted one of her songs to her Instagram Story in 2021. “The only reality television I watched was 90 Day Fiancé and I had to stop watching because it put me in such a bad mood because I get so irritated at these people,” she told the publication. “But I had never watched the Real Housewives at all.”

She noted that her friends tipped her off the Richards’ post, so Wade sent her a message to thank her, ultimately leading to an unlikely friendship. As for the dating rumors that sparked amid Richards’ separation from husband Mauricio Umansky? “We’re friends,” Wade said. “The Internet’s a dumb place.”

Richards has also been supportive of Wade as she prepares to undergo a double mastectomy as a preventative measure in November, after she had been diagnosed with a mutation in the RAD51D gene. The topic hits close to home for Richards, whose mom died of breast cancer in 2002. “She helped me connect with some really good surgeons,” Wade said. “We were talking about that and then she had the idea of us doing a documentary and following all this stuff, so we’ve been out and about. She’s just really been there for me with all that.”

“It’s just been such a great friendship,” she continued. “I know that if Kyle vouches for you, you’re a good person.”

The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has revealed its nominees in 12 categories for the 2023 AIM Awards.

RAYE and Shygirl each received three nominations. 070 Shake, who collaborated with RAYE on “Escapism,” received two, as did Ezra Collective, Overmono and ENNY. Other notable nominees include: Wet Leg, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yves Tumor, Little Simz and Rina Sawayama.

AIM also revealed the winners of two awards.

Björk won the publicly-voted Best Live Performance award, besting Beabadoobee, MUNA and Japan’s kawaii-metal girl band BABYMETAL.

Dr. Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives in Music (BLiM), was named Diversity Champion in recognition of her groundbreaking work in creating an inclusive music industry, such as the rollout of BLiM’s voluntary Music Industry Anti-Racism Code.

The AIM Independent Music Awards recognizes the achievements of independent labels, artists and entrepreneurs that make up the U.K.’s independent music sector.

Silvia Montello, CEO of AIM, said in a statement: “The AIM Independent Music Awards are a night to celebrate the best of the UK’s independent music community, and to showcase its triumphs and innovations. We are proud to be able to honour the diversity and talent across the UK ‘s independent labels, artists, entrepreneurs and champions and it’s fantastic to see continued public recognition of Björk’s trailblazing live shows!”

The awards will be presented at London’s Roundhouse on Sept. 26.

The ceremony will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, an anniversary that has been feted at numerous awards shows already this year. The segment, supported by BBC 1Xtra, will recognize hip-hop’s influence and its lasting impact on the emergence of jungle, grime and drum & bass. 

Here’s a complete list of nominees for the 2023 AIM Awards.

Best Live Performance

Björk  (One Little Independent)

Diversity Champion

Charisse Beaumont – Black Lives in Music

PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist

AntsLive (Payday Records, Trademark Records)

John Summit (Off The Grid Records)

Surya Sen (Skint Records)

Vibe Chemistry (DnB Allstars Records)

Wet Leg (Domino Records)

Music Entrepreneur of the Year

Alex Brees – Un:hurd

Caius Pawson – Young / Space

Jess Kangalee – Good Energy PR

Keturah Cummings – Forward Slash

Yasin El Ashrafi – HQ Familia

Best Boutique Label

Chess Club

Glasgow Underground

Houndstooth

Rough Bones

So Young Records

Best Independent Label

Defected Records

Forever Living Originals

Hospital Records

One Little Independent

Transgressive

Best Creative Campaign

Because Music (Shygirl – “Nymph”)

Dirty Hit (Rina Sawayama – “Hold the Girl”)

Human Re Sources (RAYE – “My 21st Century Blues”)

Ninja Tune (Young Fathers – “Heavy Heavy”)

Partisan Records (Ezra Collective – “Where I’m Meant to Be”)

XL Recordings (Yaeji – “With a Hammer”)

UK Independent Breakthrough

Ezra Collective (Partisan Records)

I.Jordan (Ninja Tune)

Overmono (XL Recordings)

Shygirl (Because Music)

Suki Waterhouse (Sub Pop)

Best Independent Track (Meta)

Connie Constance – “Hurt You” (Play It Again Sam)

ENNY – “Charge It” (FAMM)

Four Tet – “Three Drums” (Text Records)

Makaya McCraven – “Dream Another” (XL Recordings)

Overmono – “Good Lies” (XL Recordings)

RAYE, 070 Shake – “Escapism” (Human Re Sources) 

Shygirl – “Shlut” (Because Music) 

Sudan Archives – “Selfish Soul” (Stones Throw Records)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” feat. Perfume Genius (Secretly Canadian)

Yves Tumor – “Echolalia” (Warp Records)

Best Independent EP/ Mixtape 

Bellah – Adultsville (Base ‘N’ Rebulz X Marathon Music Group)

ENNY – We Go Again (FAMM)

Jessica Winter – Limerance (Lucky Number)

Saint Joshua – EP2 (Ditto Music)

yunè pinku – BABYLON IX (PLATOON)

Best Independent Album 

Avelino – God Save The Streets (More Music Records/ OddChild Music)

Kelela – Raven (Warp Records)

Little Simz – No Thank You (Forever Living Originals)

Nova Twins – Supernova (Marshall Records)

Obongjayar – Some Nights I Dream of Doors (September Recordings)

Oliver Sim – Hideous Bastard (Young)

RAYE – My 21st Century Blues (Human Re Sources)

Rina Sawayama – Hold the Girl (Dirty Hit)

Shygirl – Nymph (Because Music)

Wu-Lu – LOGGERHEAD(Warp Records) 

Best Independent Remix 

Sega Bodega Remix (One Little Independent) – Björk – “Ovuke” (feat. Shygirl)

Soulwax Remix (Deewee / Because Music) – Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul – “Cliché”

Nu:Tone Remix (Hospital Records) – GLXY – “Butterfly Effect” (feat. Hugh Hardie & Visionobi)

Jamie XX remix (Young) – Oliver Sim – “GMT”

Boys Noize (Secretly Canadian) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Wolf”

One to Watch (BBC Music Introducing)

Jessica Winter (Lucky Number)

Juice Menace (Supernature)

FLOWEROVLOVE (FAE GRP)

Laughta (MDLBEAST)

Master Peace (PMR)

Best Independent Video (Vevo)

Ezra Collective – “No Confusion” ft. Kojey Radical (Partisan Records)

Kelela – “Enough for Love” (Warp Records)

Obongjayar – “I Wish It Was Me (Live)” (September Recordings)

RAYE, 070 Shake – “Escapism” (Human Re Sources)

Wesley Joseph – “MONSOON” (EEVILTWINN)

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour is heading to Mexico City! After wrapping the first half of its North American run earlier this month, Swift will kick off the international leg of her heavily anticipated tour at Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City on Thursday (Aug. 24).

The international run will make stops in South America, Europe, Asia and Australia and will extend into August 2024.

Swift will return to the States for another round of shows in the U.S. and Canada, including New Orleans, Toronto and Miami, beginning in fall 2024. Swifties had a chance to score presale tickets through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program in early August.

The Eras Tour, Swift’s first tour in five years, was announced last November. Presale tickets to the tour went on sale that month.

For the first round of the tour, Swift partnered with Capital One on exclusive tickets available for Capital One cardholders. As can be expected, passes to see Swift live remain one of the hottest concert tickets on the market, so we’re breaking down what you need to know so you can secure a seat.

See below for information on how to get last-minute tickets to the Mexico City shows and other international stops on Swift’s Eras Tour. Check out the new list of tour dates here.

How Much Do Last-Minute Eras Tour Tickets Cost?

Tickets for The Eras Tour became available to purchase for the general public on Nov. 3, 2022. Verified fans received a unique code to have the chance to purchase tickets starting at $49 up to $449. VIP packages started at $199 up to $899 on a first-come, first-served basis.

How much are last-minute tickets? There are a few ways to buy Eras Tour tickets, but expect to spend at least a few hundred bucks depending on the seats and date of the show. Swift will perform in Mexico City from Aug. 25-27. The Grammy winner heads to Argentina and Brazil in November.

Tickets are mostly sold out, but you should be able to find a few passes online via Ticketmaster and resale tickets on sites such as Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub. Prices range from approximately $687 and up on Seat Geek, Vivid Seats and StubHub, although most prices fall in the $1,000 range on StubHub.

Looking for the cheapest tickets? Searching different sites will give you a better chance of landing tickets at a lower price point, but we did some of the digging for you.

At press time, international tickets to the tour start at around $300 on StubHub, which is around the same prices that you might find for certain tickets on sites such as Ticketsmarter.

The Eras Tour is a celebration of all 10 of the studio albums Swift has released since 2006. Last November, the singer shared a poster advertising the tour’s initial 27-date U.S. leg on Instagram featuring a collage of photos of herself through the years, from the time of her self-titled debut to Midnights, which dropped less than two weeks prior to the tour news.

“I wanted to tell you something that I’ve been so excited about for a really long time. I’ve been planning for ages and I finally get to tell you: I’m going back on tour,” Swift said on GMA, announcing the news. “The tour is called the Eras tour and it’s a journey through all of the musical eras of my career.”

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Black Sabbath is embracing nostalgia with a new capsule collection titled “It Runs in Our Veins” in collaboration with the adventure lifestyle brand Roark. The apparel line officially dropped Wednesday (Aug. 23) and features a mix of running tops, bottoms and an active bomber jacket all decorated with the iconic heavy metal band’s logo and photos from the past.

The collection infuses both brands’ styles infuses heavy metal rock, youth and activeness into each piece. The photos used are also a nod to “the wild night in 1972 that the band spent in Roark’s hometown of Laguna Beach,” according to a press release.

To celebrate the release of the collection, Roark and Roark Run Amok (the brand’s trail running specific apparel) posted a gallery of photos in a joint post showing off the apparel up for grabs.

“Black Sabbath has long been a cornerstone of our daily rhythm intake, fueling our trail time, nights out, and creativity. It comes with great excitement that we announce our collaboration with these pioneers of heavy metal, pumping fresh air into our existence Somewhere Between Freedom & Chaos,” the caption read.

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A post shared by Roark Run Amok (@roarkrunamok)

This capsule collection won’t be around forever and most likely won’t be restocked once styles are sold out. Don’t wait out on these exclusive styles and make sure to add them to your cart sooner rather than later.

Keep reading to shop our picks below or check out the entire limited collection here.

Featuring an off-white base and the timeless Black Sabbath purple shade, this short sleeve tee is a must-have for fans and collectors to add to their rotation. The back comes with a photo of the band in the ’70s while the front says “Black Sabbath” in the top right corner.

Whether you’re going for a morning jog or are just lounging around the house, do it in these Black Sabbath-themed shorts. The style features a drawstring waistband to customize to your needs while the sides and back feature zip-up pockets for keeping your essentials safe and secure.

For a longer shirt style, this baseball-inspired top comes in a black and white style you can pair with joggers, jeans and sweatpants. The front features the band’s name while the back comes with the iconic devil logo.

Fans won’t be able to resist this more vibrant choice as these shorts come with the heavy metal band’s name, album title and photos from the past. The design also features a 5-inch leg length and a four-way stretch nylon material that’ll move with you whether you’re at the gym or running errands.

As the weather cools down, throw on this bomber jacket to show off your favorite band and cover your arms from the chilly wind. It features a nylon stretch material, ripped hem and cuffs for added comfort and style.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best varsity jackets, platform boots and crewnecks and hoodies.

SYDNEY, Australia — A new chapter unfolds for Australia’s music community with the activation of Creative Australia, the centerpiece of the federal government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, which its architects hope will turn Australia into a music powerhouse.

On Thursday (Aug. 24), as the Creative Australia Act 2023 came into effect, federal minister for the arts Tony Burke officially unveiled Creative Australia and its new board, led by chairman Robert Morgan and deputy chair Wesley Enoch.

Creative Australia is an expanded and modernized Australia Council for the Arts which, Burke says, “will bring the drive, direction and vision that Australian artists have been calling out for.”

The government agency’s CEO Adrian Collette will chair the newly-appointed Music Australia council, an eight-strong board of artists and music industry experts, which includes legendary concerts promoter Michael Chugg and was unveiled earlier in the week.

“Pleasingly,” comments Evelyn Richardson, CEO of Live Performance Australia, “Creative Australia comes to life with the restoration of funding that was lost under the previous government’s budget cuts in 2014, as well as new initiatives such as Music Australia and Creative Workplaces.”

To fully “realize its ambition and promise,” she continues, “it will be important that current and future governments are committed to greater investment in our cultural and creative industries through Creative Australia.”

The music industry has long advocated for a new body to help Australia’s commercial music sector reach new heights at home and abroad.

When Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor government was formed in 2022, ending the nine-year administration of the center-right Liberal Party, hope turned to action.

In the months that followed the federal election, Burke welcomed key representative bodies of the Australian contemporary music industry leaders to consult on the policy, from which Revive was shaped.

In January, prime minister Albanese presented Revive to the industry and the public, and with it, the promise of a new Music Australia, a reimagined national music development agency that would support and invest in the development of Australian contemporary music.

The policy is an ambitious year-long action plan, structured around five interconnected pillars and underpinned by a commitment for new, additional investment totaling A$286 million (US$202 million) — record levels of arts funding. Music Australia alone is funded to the tune of A$69 million ($44 million) over four years.

The establishment of Music Australia is a “landmark moment for Australia’s music industry,” says Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS. “It represents for the first time in the nation’s history that we have had a long-term commitment from government to work in partnership with industry to make Australia a music powerhouse,” he adds.

“We look forward to working with Music Australia chair and Creative Australia CEO Adrian Collette and the rest of the council to fully realize the cultural, economic and social benefits of a vibrant, healthy and sustainable music industry accessible to all Australians, and the world.”

The Creative Australia Bill, which lays the legal framework for the existence of Music Australia, passed parliament and was enshrined into law in June. Today’s development was a formality, but an important one.

“Now it all comes down to execution,” comments ARIA and PPCA CEO Annabelle Herd. “Now is the time to think big, consult wide, and deliver the solutions that Australian recording artists and industry professionals deserve; restoring the infrastructure to help them achieve sustainable careers at home and providing a greater platform for them to reach new audiences by cutting through an increasingly saturated market.”

Australia’s contemporary music industry, she continues, “is an incredible incubator for world-class talent. But for the world to discover that talent, we need the right strategic support and investment. There’s no time to waste.”

Work is “already underway” to establish Music Australia and Creative Workplaces within Creative Australia, reads a statement from the Creative Australia office.

In 2024, the inaugural First Nations-led board will be established, building on the Australia Council’s 50-year history of investment in First Nations Arts and Culture. And in 2025, Writers Australia will be established.

Read the full National Cultural Policy here.

Music Australia Council:
Fred Alale, co-founder and chair of African Music and Cultural Festivals Inc.
Lisa Baker, manager of creative cultural development, City of Playford
Danielle Caruana (Mama Kin), artist and founder/director of The Seed Fund
Michael Chugg, founder of Chugg Entertainment
Petrina Convey, owner and director of UNITY. Mgmt
Fred Leone, artist
Nathan McLay, CEO of Future Classic
Dr Sophie Payten (Gordi), artist

Australia Council Board of Creative Australia:
Adrian Collette AM
Robert Morgan (Chair)
Wesley Enoch AM (Deputy Chair)
Rosheen Garnon
Stephen Found
Christine Simpson Stokes AM
Philip Watkins
Alexandra Dimos
Caroline Bowditch
Courtney Stewart
Kitty Taylor
Lindy Lee
Caroline Wood
Amanda Jackes

Entertainment One announced on Thursday (Aug. 24) that it will be producing and financing an upcoming documentary for Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli.

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe will be filmed in Italy and America as it delves into the 64-year-old singer’s musical talent as well as his personal life, offering never-before-seen insights into his life story as well as scenes beyond the stage with his family and friends.

The Cosima Spender-directed film features Bocelli and his wife Veronica Bocelli as executive producers alongside Scott Rodger, Francesco Pasquero and eOne’s Tara Long, Malcolm Gerrie, Matt Pritchard and Geno McDermott. Jan Younghusband serves as the doc’s producer.

“It’s always a privilege to be invited into someone else’s world,” Spender said in a press release. “When that person is Andrea Bocelli, it’s an opportunity to delve into a landscape of sounds, memories, and opera that are entirely unique to him. Andrea and I instantly recognized each other thanks to the simple fact: we were born and grew up in the same rural Tuscan region. This meant an immediate understanding of sense of humor, attitude to life, and a shared attachment to the land we come from.”

“This film is a truly unique insight into the life and times of the world’s most loved tenor,” Younghusband adds. “It is an honor to work with Andrea and his family, friends, and colleagues and to support this unique collaboration with filmmaker Cosima Spender, as the Maestro shares his wisdom as never before about the road to his success.”

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe is currently in production and is scheduled for release next year, which coincides with Bocelli’s milestone 30th anniversary in the music industry.

Songwriters now have a new prize to aim for, one that carries the name of arguably the greatest of them all — Bob Dylan.

The Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship will be awarded each year to two songwriters, an initiative that identifies, mentors and develops rising talent, doing so with the resources of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK.

An initiative of Universal Music Publishing Group and BDC, each Fellowship includes a $40,000 project stipend, public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study the legendary artist’s creative process, roundtrip airfare to Tulsa and accommodations, mentorship from the music publishing giant’s songwriters and executives, recording time, and more.

Joining the initial judges panel are Juliette Armanet, Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp, Carla Morrison and Nas.

The Fellowship is “core to our mission of educating, motivating and inspiring visitors to engage their own capacity as creators,” comment BDC director Steven Jenkins, “and we cannot wait to hear the entries from undiscovered talent around the world.”

Eligible creators from around the globe can submit their work from now through Oct. 18, 2023. To meet the Fellowship criteria, entrants must be 18 years or older and unsigned to a publishing agreement of any kind at the time of the Fellowship start date, May, 1, 2024.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to connect developing talent with the works of one of the greatest songwriters of all time,” comments UMPG COO Marc Cimino, adding, “we look forward to developing a new group of songwriters in this unique environment.”

The Fellowship, which runs from May 2024 through April 2025, is presented 15 months after the grand opening of the BDC, the museum and archive celebrating the Nobel laureate’s work.

Its 100,000-item collection was acquired in 2016 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation for an estimated $20 million. Visitors get a full-picture of Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence; films, videos, photographs and artwork; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments and more.

For further details visit bobdylancenter.com/songwriterfellowship.

John Farnham is cancer-free and feeling like “the luckiest man alive.”

The legendary Australian singer shared the good news to mark the anniversary of a marathon operation to remove a cancerous growth from his mouth.

“It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then. I’m sure someone’s kept track of them all — let’s just say, there’s been a few,” he writes in a statement.

“But, I’m home now and I’m a very grateful and happy man.”

The 74-year-old artist underwent eight weeks of radiation treatment after that initial surgery, and was given the “all clear” from doctors last month.

“It’s only now that I can start to appreciate and comprehend, for myself, how many messages of love and support have been sent to me over the past year,” he adds. “I don’t know what to say, other than thank you so very much. It honestly means the world to me.”

And how did he mark the anniversary of his surgery? By enjoying a pizza — “because I can,” he remarked. “I can’t wait to see what might be next on the menu. Bring on 2024.”

Farnham is one of Australia’s most successful — and most recognizable — recording artists, with hits across five decades.

The greatest of them all is “You’re the Voice,” which led the Australian chart (then the Kent Music Report) and peaked at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Chart. “You’re The Voice” and Men At Work’s “Down Under” are regarded in these parts as the “unofficial” national anthems.

The hit single appeared on 1986’s Whispering Jack, the first record to sell over a million copies in Australia. To this day, Whispering Jack is recognized as the highest-selling Australian album in ARIA history, with more than 1.6 million copies shifted.

Farnham has been saluted with multiple awards and honors, including the 1987 Australian of the Year, he was made Officer of the Order of Australia in 1996, he’s collected 21 ARIA Awards — the most by a solo artist — and inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2003.

When Farnham was admitted to hospital earlier this year to combat a chest infection, fans feared the worst. But the singer, as he has done throughout his recording career, made a strong comeback.

In May of this year, he was the subject of a feature-length documentary, John Farnham: Finding The Voice, released through Sony Pictures, with a companion soundtrack through Wheatley Records / Sony Music Australia. The doc went on to become Australia’s highest-grossing feature-length music documentary of all time, and the LP debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart, for his 20th top 10 appearance.

At the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday night (Aug. 23), the first question posed to eight hopeful candidates for commander in chief was about the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

“As we sit here tonight, the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart is ‘Rich Men North of Richmond,'” Fox News host Martha MacCallum said as the crowd at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum erupted in cheers. “It’s by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics speak of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country. Washington, D.C., is about 100 miles north of Richmond.”

A 30-second clip of Anthony’s viral hit — which debuts atop the Hot 100 this week, despite the artist never having any previous Billboard chart history — played next, including the unedited line “‘Cause your dollar ain’t sh– and it’s taxed to no end/ ‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond.”

MacCallum posed the first question to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, asking: “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means?”

DeSantis — who’s been referencing Anthony’s song in recent campaign speeches — responded by saying voters “need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline” and that “we cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can’t afford groceries, a car or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings.” He directly addressed the song while taking aim at government spending too, saying: “We also cannot succeed when the Congress spends trillions and trillions of dollars. Those rich men north of Richmond have put us in this situation.”

The song, billed to Oliver Anthony Music, has especially struck a chord with a conservative audience, with right-wing pundits immediately embracing its lyrical take-down of the rich and powerful, so it makes sense that Fox News would harness its popularity at the first Republican debate leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

In addition to DeSantis, the night’s debate stage included former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Watch the moment here:

The very first question at tonight's debate is about… Rich Men North of Richmond.

"Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means?" pic.twitter.com/ty26fBDnii

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 24, 2023