Jason Aldean spoke out about the flashbacks he received for his latest song. Aldean, who released his latest song ‘Try That In A Small Town‘ in May with its music video, was accused of being pro-gun and racist by outraged social media users. The song was taken down from airing by CMT.
Days after sharing the music video, the singer released a statement on social media, calling the accusations dangerous. The statement read:
“In the past 24 hour, 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 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 added that he was present at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in 2017, where more than 50 people were killed by a mass shooter. He said:
“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 went on to explain his understanding of 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.”
The singer concluded with the following:
“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 one day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to – that’s what this song is about.”
The music video was released on Friday, and it heavily includes footage from protests, including Black Lives Matter protests. After the release of the song, social media users started analyzing the song’s lyrics. The lyrics included:
“Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / That shit may fly in the city / Good luck trying that in a small town”
Some Twitter users replied to the singer’s statement with negative comments, accusing him of being racist. One of the tweets read:
“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.”
Another comment read:
“Song was tone deaf, buddy! Reading your response, did you ever think about the families and communities that were ripped apart by systemic racism and police violence? It goes both ways, try and view things from a different lens next time.”
The single, which will be featured on Aldean’s upcoming album, debuted on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart eight weeks ago and rises 26-25 on the July 22 dated chart.
See the statements and the follower responses down below.
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
Song was tone deaf buddy! Reading your response, did you ever think about the families and communities that were ripped apart by systemic racism and police violence? It goes both ways, try and view things from a different lens next time.
— Makkim (@Makkim77) July 19, 2023
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.
— Tom 🇺🇦 (@BeLikeGumby) July 18, 2023
