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Country artist Jason Aldean is facing backlash over his track “Try That In A Small Town,” with critics calling its lyrics and music video "pro-lynching."
According to HuffPost, Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town" was initially released in May but recently sparked backlash after its music video debuted on Friday (July 14). In the video, Aldean sang his song on the steps of a Tennessee courthouse where a historic lynching took place while footage of violent protests appeared.
Aldean's lyrics warned protestors who “cuss out a cop, spit in his face” or “stomp on the flag and light it up” to “see how far ya make it down the road,” among other threats, per HuffPost.
Aldean took to Twitter on Tuesday (July 18) to defend his song, just one day after the music video was pulled from CMT.
“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. These references are not only meritless but dangerous,” Aldean tweeted. “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.”
In his defense, Aldean dismissed accusations that his song promoted gun violence, citing the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival.
“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 wrote. “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
The country singer claimed the track “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.”
“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," Aldean, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, concluded his defense.
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