Ben Shapiro Facts – screenshot
*Ben Shapiro is raising eyebrows and questions by topping iTunes with his No. 1 song “Facts.”
The question for those opposed to the controversial right-wing political commentator’s views is how he managed to have the top song, over tracks by music fixtures Justin Timberlake, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jack Harlow.
Diving into the notion of “Facts” finding success, The Washington Post looks at the tune and Shapiro’s rise as one of the artists behind it. The other being Canadian rapper Tom MacDonald.
Lyrically, “Facts” is Shapiro’s first rap song. It features content harping on talking points floated frequently from far-right wing influencers and media outlets, the Post reports. Shapiro’s critics are in the crosshairs of the man himself as he aims at said critics, the culture wars, and rap as a music genre. Particularly Lizzo and Nicki Minaj.
“Let’s look at the stats, I’ve got the facts/ My money like Lizzo, my pockets are fat,” Shapiro raps about the “Truth Hurts” singer.
As the song continues, the firebrand mentions Minaj, rapping, “Nicki, take some notes, I just did this for fun/ All my people download this, let’s get a Billboard number one.”
Although “Facts is making noise on iTunes, that seems to be the only place it’s making an impact. Outside millions of listeners on Apple Music and Spotify, “Facts” has yet to invade the top playlists on the outlets. The song’s success, the Post stated, mirrors others with ties to America’s politics. Among the tunes cited were Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” and Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond. Both songs are noted for being popular with conservative music fans.
As of Jan. 31, “Facts” is occupying the No. 1 spot on iTunes Music over Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hiss” and Nicki Minaj’s “Big Foot.” On Spotify, the song had just over 1 million listens. Looking at Apple Music, “Facts” had not invaded the country’s top 100 songs.
“Label artists have access to playlisting and resources that independents do not,” MacDonald said, regarding the success of “Facts” on iTunes compared with streaming. “If we want to compete with them on the Billboard charts, this is the way to do it.”
Ben Shapiro and Tom MacDonald Facts – screenshot
For those wondering, “Facts” takes its name from a catchphrase Shapiro uses, “facts don’t care about feelings.” The phrase is common language for Shapiro, who uses it frequently to argue ideas mainstream listeners might find offensive.
“They call me offensive, controversial / There’s only two genders, boys and girls.” MacDonald rhymes, adding, “They claim that I’m racist, yeah, all right I’m not ashamed because I’m White / If every Caucasian’s a bigot, I guess every Muslim’s a terrorist, every liberal is right.”
In his eyes, MacDonald believes “Facts” “presents an alternative [to]the manufactured, overproduced, wrapped-in-plastic mainstream product.”
“I feel like not only did this song encourage high moral standards… it also is a legendary troll on the music industry. It’s a bit of revenge to enter their arena and beat them at their own game,” he added.
Although she has been criticized by Shapiro, Minaj brought a bit of love to him via social media after the release of “Facts.”
“I just listened to it @benshapiro not bad,” the “Super Bass” rapstress wrote in a post on X on Saturday.
“Congrats on #1. But it def sounds like Roman’s Revenge when the beat first came in … idk,” Minaj added, while referencing her Eminem collaboration, “Roman’s Revenge.”
Shortly after Minaj posted her support of “Facts,” Shapiro responded.
“Didn’t know what I was doing, but I put on a cape. Now it’s, ‘Which world tour should I go on today?’” he wrote, referencing a lyric from Minaj’s 2010 song “I’m The Best.”
Whether “Facts” continues its reign atop iTunes remains to be seen. As for the other platforms, the full scope of Shapiro’s success won’t be known until next week, the Post stated.
For more on Shapiro and the impact of his song “Facts,” click here.
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