Jason Aldean posted a statement on Tuesday afternoon (July 18) in response to backlash over his latest single. “Try That In A Small Town” has reportedly stirred controversy over its pro-gun lyrics and other divisive issues in the song and its music video, which premiered last week.
The video for “Try That In A Small Town” — a song written by Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace, and Neil Thrasher — was reportedly filmed with Aldean and his band performing in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, the site of the lynching of Henry Choate in 1927 and other incidents of racial violence. Throughout the video, footage is shown of unrest during protests, flag burning, violent robberies and more. Aldean sings of “good ol' boys, raised up right,” the “gun that my granddad gave me,” and more, among the lyrics that have stood out to listeners. CMT pulled the video from its rotation, as confirmed by multiple news outlets on Tuesday.
“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,” Aldean said in a statement shared on his social media channels. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. 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.
“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,” he continued, noting pushback in response to pro-gun lyrics in the song. “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.
“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,” Aldean concluded. “Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. 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.”