00:00 Jason Aldean is defending his new controversial song and music video after it was pulled by
00:05 CMT.
00:06 Aldean's song "Try That in a Small Town" was criticized for promoting gun violence
00:12 and taking aim at the Black Lives Matter movement.
00:14 The music video features the burning of the American flag, protests, looting and more.
00:19 CMT pulled the clip from its rotation on Monday.
00:22 But Aldean is calling claims against the track not only meritless but dangerous.
00:27 In a tweet on Tuesday, he wrote in part, "There is not a single lyric in the song that references
00:31 race or points to it.
00:33 And there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage.
00:36 And while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with
00:39 music, this one goes too far."
00:42 Some social media users were offended by the song, especially since Aldean was performing
00:46 on stage at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2017 when a shooter opened
00:52 fire and killed 60 concertgoers and injured hundreds more.
00:56 In his tweet, the Grammy-nominated star referenced the tragedy, saying, "No one, including me,
01:01 wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.
01:05 Try That in a Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing
01:09 up where we took care of our neighbors regardless of differences of background or belief because
01:14 they were our neighbors and that was above any differences."
01:17 For more on this story, head to THR.com.
01:20 And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter
01:24 News.
01:25 (whooshing)
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