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With the release of his song “Try That in a Small Town,” country music star Jason Aldean found himself at the center of a heated debate that exposed America’s deep socio-political divides. The song’s lyrics opened with explicit descriptions of violent acts, painting a provocative picture of aggression and rebellion. As the accompanying video emerged, featuring scenes of protests and historical sites linked to racial violence, the controversy surrounding the song reached new heights.
The “Try That in a Small Town” video depicts Jason Aldean standing before a courthouse in a Tennessee town which is notorious for the lynching of a Black teenager by a mob in 1927 and race riots in 1946. The powerful imagery drew intense reactions, leading Country Music Television to pull the video from rotation, reflecting the tensions within the country music community itself.
While the singer defended the song, describing it as a reflection of community and caring for one another, critics took a different stance. Activist Shannon Watts saw the lyrics as harkening back to darker times of vigilantism and violence. In a CNN editorial, historian Nicole Hemmer argued that the song celebrated vigilantism and implied who had the authority to make and enforce rules.
For Jason Aldean, this controversy isn’t new. In 2017, he was on stage during the tragic Las Vegas music festival shooting, one of the deadliest acts of gun violence in modern US history. He vehemently denies any racist intent or endorsement of violence in his song, asserting that interpretations have gone too far.
This clash over the singer’s song is part of the broader “culture wars” in America, where country music, often perceived as leaning conservative, has not remained immune to these debates.
Despite the controversy, Aldean received support from various right-wing figures, including former President Donald Trump who praised the singer’s new song on his social network, Truth. Consequently, “Try That in a Small Town” enjoyed significant success on music charts, similarly to the experience of Morgan Wallen, another country singer whose record sales soared despite being caught uttering a racial slur in 2021. In this evolving landscape, country music continues to navigate its role in reflecting and shaping American society, leaving behind a divided audience and sparking crucial conversations on race, violence, and values.
With AFP.
