Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” Claims #1 Spot On iTunes Chart After CMT Pulls Its Music Video Amid Controversy
Jason Aldean released his latest single, “Try That in a Small Town,” in May. The song has Aldean singing about the contrasting lifestyles in rural areas and cities. He addresses gun rights and rebukes acts of violence against police, saying, “Try that in a small town. See how far ya make it down the road...”
“Try That in a Small Town” drew some criticism following its release. But it faced harsher backlash after Aldean shared its official music video on July 14.
The video was reportedly filmed in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. The Courthouse served as the location where numerous incidents of racially motivated violence occurred in the past. Aldean’s video for “Try That in a Small Town” also includes footage of lootings and protests toward police officers.
RELATED: JASON ALDEAN ACCUSED OF BEING “PRO-LYNCHING” IN NEW SONG
Many accused Aldean of releasing a “pro-lynching” song and music video that supported racial violence. Because of the backlash, CMT made the decision to pull the video for “Try That in a Small Town” out of its rotation on Monday (July 17).
Jason Aldean Issues Response To Backlash Over “Try That In A Small Town”
Aldean responded to the criticism on Tuesday (July 18), saying in a statement on social media:
“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.”
RELATED: JASON ALDEAN RESPONDS TO CMT PULLING HIS MUSIC VIDEO
Aldean went on to explain what “Try That in a Small Town” means to him:
“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. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”
Supporters Back Jason Aldean In The Midst Of “Try That In A Small Town” Controversy
Aldean has also received a lot of support in the midst of this controversy. Fans have called for a boycott of CMT after they pulled the music video for “Try That in a Small Town.” Many drew comparisons to the ongoing Bud Light boycott that started earlier this year.
Other fans chose to support Aldean by purchasing “Try That in a Small Town” on iTunes. Just hours after he addressed the video’s removal from CMT, the song reached the #1 spot on the iTunes all-genre chart.
The music video also ranked at the #1 spot on iTunes music video chart.
The video for “Try That in a Small Town” remains on YouTube. As of this writing, it has generated over 914,000 views on the platform since its release 5 days ago.
Watch the video for “Try That in a Small Town” below.