Following claims that the song and music video are “racist” and “pro-lynching,” country music fans criticized ABC for playing Jason Aldean’s pre-recorded performance of his contentious song “Try That in a Small Town” as part of its CMA Fest concert special on Wednesday.
On June 10th, Nashville’s Nissan Stadium hosted a stirring concert by Jason Aldean, a well-known conservative, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association.
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On Wednesday, take in Dierks Bentley, Elle King, and Lainey Wilson’s star-studded CMA Fest. Legendary musicians Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, and Miranda Lambert delivered remarkable performances at this thrilling occasion.
However, none caused greater controversy than Aldean’s show, which aired the day after he labeled the “released a pro-lynching song … not only meritless, but dangerous.”
“Oh no CMA fest gonna get cancelled for playing this Jason aldean song,” Wednesday saw one tweet.
“Honestly CMA fest allowing disgusting @Jason_Aldean to still perform is g r o s s,” another wrote.
A third commented: “Jason Aldean and this awful song make me want to change the channel!”
“Turning off #CMAFEST because Jason Aldeans song ‘In a Small Town’ should not be playing anywhere. You should be ashamed of yourself @abc,” Unhappy viewer shouted at the network.
In fact, one Twitter user called 46-year-old Jason Aldean “a disgrace to country music.”
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The Post has contacted Aldean’s agents for a response.
The music video clip was not shown on ABC during the Wednesday special.
The Aldean song was published in May, but it wasn’t until Friday’s music video release that the song’s contentious lyrics came under fire.
Aldean sings: in the opening verse: “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.”
He continues: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough.”
In the second stanza, Aldean asserts with assurance that he has a rifle that belonged to his grandfather.
“Got a gun that my grandad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s–t may fly in the city, good luck,” He offers advice, but it’s not apparent to whom “they” are referring.
Sheryl Crow, the singer of “If It Makes You Happy,” criticized Aldean in a tweet on Tuesday for “promoting violence.”
“… This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame,” Crow stated.
Even though the song was taken off CMT’s rotation on Monday, its popularity has not decreased. Various protest videos, including Black Lives Matter demonstrations, as well as Aldean’s performance in front of a Tennessee courtroom with a sordid history of lynchings are shown in the film.
As of Wednesday night, the song is at the top of iTunes’ Top Songs and Music Videos lists.
With over 2.5 million views on YouTube, the music video has greatly increased in popularity.
In an Instagram Story, Aldean addresses criticism with assurance.
“‘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,” he explained.
Brittany Aldean, 35, who is also no stranger to controversy, supported her husband on Instagram on Tuesday by posting a photo of the two of them with the following caption: “Never apologize for speaking the truth.❣️🇺🇸”
She published once more on Wednesday, this time with the caption: “Man do we love y’all. 💛 Free thinkers, lions not sheep… thankful for the support, always!”
The song recounts an intriguing series of the couple’s risky decisions.
Following Brittany’s harsh comments made online, Aldean lost his PR company of 17 years.
The pair got into a fight with 33-year-old country singer Maren Morris.
At the renowned Mar-a-Lago, where the Aldeans celebrated the arrival of 2023, Brittany had the pleasure of receiving a thoughtful gesture — a kiss on the forehead — from former President Donald Trump, who is 77 years old.
Aldean received harsh criticism for his CMA Fest performance, but he also received a lot of appreciation from his loyal followers on Twitter for singing the contentious tune without fear.
“@Jason_Aldean STAND YOUR GROUND!!” one cheered.
Another fan rejoiced: “They can’t cancel @Jason_Aldean !!!!!!! @CountryMusic WAY TO SHUT THEM DOWN!!!!!”
“Speak your truth! This is the USA. It’s your right. The woke will always find fault. I’ll buy your song!” another promised.
The Wednesday broadcast’s performance by Aldean was not mentioned on the CMA or ABC Twitter feeds.
Love the song all these Butt Hurt snowflakes are again making something out of nothing !!! Not at all controversial !!!!