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<\/source><\/picture>On July 14, country singer Jason Aldean announced the release of the music video<\/a> for his song \u201cTry That in a Small Town.\u201d Aldean elaborated on the message he hoped to convey in the new single in a Twitter post<\/a> that day: \u201cWhen u grow up in a small town, it\u2019s that unspoken rule of \u2018we all have each other\u2019s backs and we look out for each other.\u2019 It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down we are all ready to get back to that.\u201d<\/p>\n Aldean expressed hope that his \u201cnew music video helps y\u2019all know that u are not alone in feeling that way.\u201d The song features lyrics summarizing the deadly violence<\/a> cities across the United States experienced following the death of George Floyd in police custody in 2020 when over 20 people were killed in violent protests and the destruction to people’s homes, small businesses, and police and federal buildings caused billions of dollars in damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Aldean sings in the video, b-roll of news reports showing the violence that ensued is seen in the background. The title of the song, \u201cTry That in a Small Town\u201d suggests that such violent protests would not have the ability to cause the same level of damage in small towns because the culture is different.<\/p>\n At one point in the song, Aldean sings, \u201cI got a gun that my granddad gave me\u201d and \u201caround here, we take care of our own\/ You cross that line, it won\u2019t take long\/ For you to find out, I recommend you don\u2019t.\u201d The implication behind the lyrics is that residents of small towns would be much quicker to crack down on any attempts to engage in deadly violent riots, including by using force if necessary.<\/p>\n The song concludes with footage of a news report featuring a profile of people in a small town helping each other, with one man summarizing the culture in the locality as \u201cif somebody needs some help, you\u2019ll get it.\u201d<\/p>\n The single quickly found itself subject to a rash of negative publicity after Ashton Pittman of the Mississippi Free Press shared a post<\/a> on Twitter last week declaring that \u201cJason Aldean shot this at the site where a white lynch mob strung Henry Choate up at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., after dragging his body through the streets with a car in 1927.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason Aldean shot this at the site where a white lynch mob strung Henry Choate up at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., after dragging his body through the streets with a car in 1927.<\/p>\n That’s where Aldean chose to sing about murdering people who don’t respect police. https:\/\/t.co\/gBL7FlaBS2<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/eGfmMc8HAI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) July 17, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where Aldean chose to sing about murdering people who don\u2019t respect police,\u201d Pittman added.<\/p>\n As Billboard<\/a> reported, the cable channel CMT, which regularly airs music videos, pulled the video from its lineup while not providing a reason why. CMT\u2019s actions don’t appear to have dented the song\u2019s popularity. As of Monday afternoon, the \u201cTry That in a Small Town\u201d music video has 16 million views on YouTube and is No. 1 on trending for music.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> to Entertainment Tonight, Tacklebox, the production company behind the music video, identified the Maury County Courthouse as a \u201cpopular filming location outside Nashville.\u201d Examples of other projects filmed at the Maury County Courthouse cited by Tacklebox include the Lifetime original movie \u201cSteppin\u2019 Into the Holiday,\u201d <\/em>the Paramount movie \u201cA Nashville Family Christmas,\u201d and the \u201cHannah Montana\u201d film.<\/p>\n As the song comes under fire, several public figures have come to Aldean’s defense in the wake of the outrage and the singer himself has weighed in on the controversy.<\/p>\n Here’s a list of five reactions to the backlash over the song \u201cTry That in a Small Town.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST<\/strong> newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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