Jason Aldean Defends Controversial Lyrics: Unveiling the Truth About Small Town Life

Jason Aldean. Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Jason Aldean supports his decision to release "Try That in a Small Town" despite the controversy surrounding the song's lyrics and accompanying music video. During an episode of Audacy's "Coop's Rockin' Country Saturday Night" podcast on October 18, Aldean defended his song by stating, "If you possess common sense, you can watch the video and recognize that I'm simply speaking the truth."

The track, initially released in May, faced criticism for allegedly promoting gun violence and vigilante justice. However, Aldean defended his intentions on Wednesday, stating that he was simply reflecting the reality of our world.

“In the video, I am portraying what unfolded—I did not initiate or manufacture it—it occurred naturally, and upon witnessing it, I found it unsettling," he explained, referring to the music video he released. The video includes footage from 2020 depicting unrest outside the Maury County Courthouse in Colombia, Tennessee, which holds historical significance as the location where Black man Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.

Aldean emphasized in the podcast that he has no concern about individuals aligning with a particular political stance. He asserted that his decision to focus on the triumphs and struggles in small towns was driven by his desire to bring attention to what he perceived as issues in the present environment.

According to Aldean, there were aspects he deemed to be incorrect and yet no one was willing to speak up, especially within the music and entertainment industries. He expressed that this eventually reached a tipping point where he felt compelled to take a stand and be the voice that others were not.

Looking back, the country singer said he thinks one line in the song is what led to some listeners calling him out for promoting violence.

"The song's release caused a major controversy, mainly due to the mention of 'having a gun that my grandfather gave me.' Referring to the verse, Aldean acknowledged that mentioning a gun is currently frowned upon, stating, 'That's a taboo topic at the moment.' Despite this, Aldean remained steadfast in staying true to the essence of country music, emphasizing its connection to the working class and everyday people. 'Country music is synonymous with the blue-collar lifestyle; it represents the everyman. That's always been my perspective,' he concluded."

Aldean gained attention in July when his song gained renewed publicity with the release of its music video. Although the video was removed from CMT's coverage after one week, Aldean faced criticism for allegedly being racially insensitive with the track, a claim he denied.

"In the past 24 hours, I have been accused of releasing a song that supports lynching (a song that has been out since May) and was compared to being unsupportive of the nationwide BLM protests. These accusations are baseless and harmful," Aldean stated in a July social media post. "The song does not contain any lyrics that reference race, and every video clip in it consists of real news footage. While I can appreciate different interpretations of a song, this one is going too far."

While the singer of "She's Country" attempted to address the controversies surrounding his song, several other country singers spoke out against him. Sheryl Crow expressed her disappointment on Twitter, stating, "@Jason_Aldean I come from a small town. Even people in small towns are tired of violence. Promoting violence goes against the values of small-town America. You, of all people, should understand that, considering you survived a mass shooting." (Aldean was on stage during the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, which resulted in 58 deaths and 546 injuries.)

In September, Maren Morris seemingly alluded to Aldean's situation with her release of the song "Get the Hell Out of Here." In the accompanying music video, Morris depicted a fake small town with a burning tree in the center of the community.

The toy town had a mock billboard stating, "From Sunrise to Sundown, Welcome to our Perfect Small Town," raising speculation among fans that it was a reference to Aldean's song. Despite the criticism, Aldean achieved a significant feat in August with his first ever No. 1 hit, "Try That in a Small Town."

Jason Aldean's wife, Brittany Aldean, took to Instagram to share the exciting news, "Yesterday marked a significant milestone for @jasonaldean! He claimed the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart! This achievement is a first in his career. Quite the unexpected turn of events, wouldn't you say? Couldn't be more grateful for our incredible fans who have always been the best of the best." As for Jason himself, he chose not to make any public acknowledgments regarding this accomplishment on social media.