HOLLYWOOD—Country music Star Jason Aldean’s latest music video for his song “Try That In A Small Town,” has been pulled by the network after receiving backlash for its setting and lyrics. The video just lasted one weekend on Country Music Television after being first aired on Friday, July 14.
In the video, the award-winning musician is seen performing in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee which was the site of a 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old black teenager named Henry Choate. Years later the 1946 Columbia race riot transpired at that same site. Footage of riots and flag burnings are dispersed throughout the video.
The video received a lot of criticism online with some saying that the video is “pro-lynching” and has racial undertones.
Aldean, 46, posted a tweet in his defense on Tuesday, July 18. He wrote, “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 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 on Twitter Tuesday. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
The production company TackleBox, who was behind the video stated that they chose that particular site to film because it is a popular filming location outside of Nashville, they wrote in a statement issued Wednesday, July 19. Aldean did not personally pick the location for his music video to be filmed.
After the video was removed by CMT several conservative figures including Sarah Huckabee Sanders who is the Governor of Arkansas spoke out in favor of the artist.
“The Left is now more concerned about @Jason_Aldean’s song calling out looters and criminals than they are about stopping looters and criminals,” Sanders wrote in a Twitter post Wednesday. She added that this represents Democrats’ priorities for being outraged over Aldean’s lyrics while crime affects cities nationwide.
Aldean has been the center of controversy before. Back in 2015, he dressed up for Halloween as rapper Lil Wayne, wearing blackface makeup and dreadlocks.
Some of Aldean’s lyrics for “Try That in a Small Town” are listed below:
“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk, Carjack an old lady at a red light, pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store, Ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like.”
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face, Stomp on the flag and light it up. Yeah, ya think you’re tough.”
“Well, try that in a small town, see how far ya make it down the road. ‘Round 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.”
