Sheryl Crow, LeVar Burton, & More Slam Country Singer Jason Aldean For Releasing Song Many Have Deem Racist & Pro-Lynching: ‘This Is Not American Or Small Town-Like, It’s Just Lame’

July 19, 2023 by Ariel Whitely in Music with 0 Comments

Jason Aldean, Sheryl Crow, LeVar Burton

Sheryl Crow, LeVar Burton, & More Slam Country Singer Jason Aldean For Releasing Song Many Have Deem Racist & Pro-Lynching: ‘This Is Not American Or Small Town-Like, It’s Just Lame’

Country music singer Jason Aldean is currently in the hot seat after releasing a new song and music video that appears to be racially charged.

Yesterday (July 18) Jason Aldean, 46, took to Twitter to address the backlash he’s facing over his newest song “Try That in a Small Town,” which has sparked an uproar online because of the tune’s controversial lyrics. Reportedly, the song was released in May but has recently gone viral on social media due to the questionable music video, which dropped last week.

Jason Aldean

Since premiering the new visuals, the music star has been “accused of releasing a pro-lynching song,” because of the lyrics and location he chose to shoot the music video.

“Try That in a Small Town” was shot in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee — the building where 18-year-old Henry Choate was lynched in 1927. According to reports, the Black teen was dragged through the streets by a white lynch mob after he was accused of attacking a white girl. The mob tragically hung him from a second-story window of the courthouse.

As far as his song lyrics go, certain lines stood out to listeners as Jason Aldean seemingly brags about being able to carry a gun in a small town. He sings,

“Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / That sh*t may fly in the city / Good luck trying that in a small town.”

At one point during the video, the singer seemingly touches on Black Lives Matter protests, leading many to believe he isn’t fond of the movement. In addition, Aldean insinuates in the lyrics that police have a right to physically retaliate against protesters. He sings,

“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 / 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.”

“Try That in a Small Town” was reportedly taken out of rotation on Country Music Television (CMT) on Monday (July 17). However, despite fans of Aldean coming to his defense, many have agreed with CMT’s decision. Fellow country singer Sheryl Crow wasted no time calling out Aldean. She tweeted,

“@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence.There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame”

Actor LeVar Burton also took a jab at Aldean and said,

“Good morning, y’all… to everyone except @Jason_Aldean!”

He then shared a tweet detailing the problems with Aldean’s video shoot location.

Following the backlash, Aldean took to his socials to defend his lyrics and music video. In a post, he said the footage used is strictly from real news clips. However, the Georgia native doesn’t directly address concerning lines in the song.

In a lengthy message, Aldean wrote,

“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.”

Jason Aldean

He continued,

“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 added,

“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.”