LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jason Aldean seems to be in trouble! The country singer's May 2023 release 'Try That In a Small Town' has been accused of being 'racist' and 'pro-lynching' after a music video for the track was released on Friday, July 14. On Monday morning, July 17, Country Music Television (CMT) pulled down the video due to the song's seemingly controversial and triggering lyrics.
The 46-year-old singer, who recently suffered a heat stroke during his concert in Connecticut, was brutally slammed for his seemingly violent lyrics and depictions in the song. Both the lyrics and video, which interlaced clips of Black Lives Matter protestors vandalizing cities with lines endorsing traditional values and 'taking care of our own', have caused quite an outrage online, as per Daily Mail.
Is Jason Aldean's 'Try That In a Small Town' racist?
The song's music video, which was unveiled on July 14, purportedly took place in a Colombian courthouse in Tennessee. Billboard claims that the filming site sparked additional outrage among country music fans because a Black man named Henry Choate was lynched there in the 1920s. The movie cuts between horrific footage of flag burning, the crowd cries, and Aldean performing in front of the entryway of the white building from which a sizable flag is hanging. The video has received over 346,000 views and it's not confirmed how many times CMT played the track.
The lyrics of the song go like, "Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they're gonna round up / Well, that s**t might fly in the city, good luck," before continuing, "Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won't take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don't."
'These references are not only meritless, but dangerous'
Now, Aldean has taken to his Twitter account to hit back at the public outcry. He started his message with, “In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests.” Discrediting the accusations, Aldean said, “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
He makes it a point to say that the song is not about racism, saying, “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.” He also makes it a case that all the footage used are fictitious.
The song is not only accused of promoting racism but also gun violence. In this regard, Aldean shared his horrifying experience of being present at the Route 91 Harvest music festival where 60 people lost their lives due to gun violence when one gunman conducted a mass shooting. He added, “As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91-where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
He then goes on to interpret the song, “Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”
Accepting that he has never shied away from hiding his political views, he says, “My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”
'You’re a disgrace'
Gun violence prevention activist Shannon Watts commented on Aldean's post reprimanding him, "Translation: Jason Aldean simply wants to return to a time in America when “good old boys” could shoot or beat the shit out of people who they didn’t think belonged in their town. Also, this song is two months old and now far past the legal song judgment period. Good day." The second social media user commented, "You wrote a hateful song about small-town intolerance and backward thinking. The same people who love a song like this applauded when George Floyd was murdered. I'm sure the singer did too." The third bemoaned, "Yeah, cause it was. You’re a disgrace dude especially cause you doubled down. This is coming from a Black country singer from a small town who lost a brother to racism."
Another castigated, "So Jason Aldean ran off from the gunfire in Las Vegas didn’t tell the audience about the sniper that was shooting at them, then blamed the shooting on the CIA, and then releases a pro lynching song. And now he’s the victim?" Sheryl Crow commented, "@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence.There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame"
