Jason Aldean Denies He Released A ‘Pro-Lynching’ Song After Backlash & Getting Pulled From CMT

Hollywood Journal

The country singer released a statement that defended the lyrics of the song after the music video, which was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse, caused internet outrage.

Transcript

00:00Now Jason Aldean is getting heat from the country community and beyond for his new single

00:04Try That in a Small Town and the music video that goes along with it. The video was filmed

00:09at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which is the same location that an

00:1518-year-old African-American Henry Choate was dragged in the streets and lynched in 1927 after

00:21being accused of attacking a white woman. It also includes footage of some of the violence that took

00:26place during the BLM protests, a majority of which were peaceful. The song itself refers to Jason

00:32owning a gun and referring to the fact that he and fellow small town folks will hurt anybody who

00:38gets in their way or disagrees with their values. CMT has chosen to stop airing the music video for

00:44the single, which came out back in May, and many stars, including Sheryl Crow, have slammed Jason

00:49for the song and the visuals. In a tweet, Sheryl wrote, I'm from a small town. Even people in

00:54small towns are sick of violence. There's nothing small town or American about promoting violence.

00:59You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American

01:04or small town-like. It's just lame. As the Soak Up the Sun star mentioned, Jason notably survived the

01:10Route 91 Harvest mass shooting in Las Vegas that took place while he was performing on stage in 2017.

01:17The gunman killed 60 people at Jason's show, which you would think would make him sensitive to

01:21gun control and violence. The singer released a statement in response to the backlash on his

01:26social media pages, denying that he meant any harm with the lyrics or the video. Jason wrote,

01:31In the past 24 hours, I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song, a song that has

01:36been out since May, and was subject to the comparison that I direct, quote, was not too

01:41pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.

01:47There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it, and there isn't

01:52a single video clip that isn't real news footage. And while I can try and respect others to have

01:57their own interpretation of a song with music, this one goes too far. He continued,

02:03As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91, where so many lost their lives, and our community

02:08recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. No one, including me, wants to continue to see

02:13senseless headlines of families ripped apart. Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the

02:19feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of

02:23differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any

02:29differences. My political views have never been something that I have hidden from, and I know that

02:34a lot of us in this country don't agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy, where we go at

02:40least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it too. That's what

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended