Country singer Jason Aldean never stops making news. A few days ago, it was reported that he had to end a concert at the XFinity Theater in Connecticut because he felt unwell due to the heat. After the video of him leaving the stage was released, the singer explained that he apparently suffered a combination of dehydration and exhaustion.
But now, Aldean is back in the headlines after CMT pulled the music video for the song "Try That in a Small Town" from its platforms. The company's decision was made because, in the song, Aldean speaks out against crime and defends the Second Amendment. The information was first published by Billboard, which indicated that the music video was available until Sunday. On Monday, however, "Try That in a Small Town" went from number 11 to number one on the iTunes U.S. songs chart. And from Tuesday to Wednesday, the song went from 300,000 views to more than 840,000.
The lyrics, written by Kelly Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Michael Allison, reference civil unrest and anti-police advocacy. The video shows images of the vandalism that some cities have experienced due to left-wing movements. "Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk, carjack an old lady at a red light, pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store, you think it's cool, well, act a fool if you like. Cuss out a cop, spit in his face, stomp on the flag and light it up. Yeah, you think you're tough. Well, try that in a small town. See how far you 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 try that in a small town," says part of the song.
Aldean's response
Jason Aldean assured that after the song was spread on social media, he received attacks and insults. He maintained that his intention was not to promote violence. He also pointed out that many of the claims made against him are dangerous. "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. 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." wrote the singer on Twitter.
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.…
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
The defense of citizens
In that vein, Aldean, who was on stage when a mass shooting occurred at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, maintained that he no longer wants to see so many families affected by the rampant violence in the country. "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."
Finally, he added that what he wants to highlight with the theme is the support among citizens to defend each other. "'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. 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."
