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Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Jason Aldean played his first concert Friday since his vigilante anthem “Try That in a Small Town” stirred up a national firestorm, soaking up a Cincinnati crowd’s adoration Friday night as he railed against “cancel culture” being responsible for the opposition to his divisive, violence-threatening song and video. “It’s been a long week. I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that,” Aldean said, as the audience at the Riverbend Music Center booed the opposition he’s faced. “I feel everybody’s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to, it doesn’t mean it’s true. What I am is a proud American… I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bullshit started happening to us. I love my country. I love my family. And I will do anything to protect that,” he declared, as the crowd began chanting “USA! USA!”

Jason Aldean addressed criticism he's faced throughout the week following the release of the music video for his latest hit, "Try That in a Small Town." In new videos surfacing on social media, Aldean joked he's had "a long-a-- week."  "It's been a long week, and I've seen a lot of stuff," the country singer said between songs. "I've seen a lot of stuff suggesting I'm this, suggesting I'm that." On Instagram Tuesday, Aldean, 46, rejected the notion that his new tune, which hit airwaves in May and only recently received visuals, referenced "race or points to it." In the music video, Aldean touts how small towns wouldn't put up with the kind of riots and lawlessness many cities across the country faced during the summer of 2020.

After his song “Try That in a Small Town” sparked lyrical backlash for allegedly condemning gun control and racial equality, Jason Aldean is clarifying his stance.

Jason Aldean has some of his fellow country music stars fighting!

Musicians Jason Isbell and Jake Owen went head-to-head on social media over Jason Aldean’s recent song controversy.

“The View” hosts are the latest to speak out about Jason Aldean’s controversial song “Try That in a Small Town”.

embroiled in controversy after the release of his newest music video, “Try That in a Small Town,” as his defenders claim he’s the latest victim of cancel culture.The conservative country star is facing accusations that his latest single and music video encourages racist, pro-gun violence, pro-vigilantism and pro-lynching messages while others, including the artist himself, claim the song spreads the message that small towns don’t put up with the same levels of crime and chaos that big cities do. Country Music Television (CMT) pulled the controversial song from its rotation on Tuesday but ABC allowed the song to remain on the set list as part of its CMA Fest concert special Wednesday.

a pithy parody of country superstar Jason Aldean’s divisive ditty “Try That in A Small Town” — a song that has come under fire for so-called “pro-lynching” lyrics.The 35-year-old Knoxville, Tennessee, musician, whose real name is Adeem Maria, titled his takedown “Sundown Town.” He annihilates Aldean’s anthem with cutting lines such as: “We got no protests or civil unrest/Never took no goddamn COVID test and we can all read but we don’t do it/Driving trucks valued higher than a new Corvette/Yeah, we all wear boots and we love to shoot and we move for the cops to stop people like you.” Aldean’s original has taken a brutal beating from online critics for allegedly promoting racism and violence.The troublesome tune was released in May, but was thrust into the spotlight after the recent release of its music video. The “Small Town” video features footage from BLM demonstrations and other protests, and depicts Aldean posing in front of an American flag draped over the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee.

Blanco Brown spoke out against accusations of racism levelled at fellow country singer Jason Aldean.

Blanco Brown spoke out against accusations of racism leveled at fellow country singer Jason Aldean.Amid the backlash against Aldean over the music video for his song «Try That in a Small Town,» Brown took to Twitter on Thursday to defend the musician.Brown wrote, in a since-deleted tweet, that «Aldeans [streams] Are Gonna Go Through The Roof» due to the uproar over the video, which many have accused of promoting racism and racial violence.«I hate the words to that song but I don’t believe he’s a racist,» Brown wrote. "[He was] one of the first to check on me in my time of need! Just bad song writing.«Brown was likely referring to his near-fatal motorcycle accident in August 2022 that left him hospitalized and required emergency surgery and treatment.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Reading between the lines of country superstar Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” has mostly been up to media commentators and social media participants so far, but one country/Americana singer has taken up the duty of writing a satirical number that spells out some of what Aldean’s critics believe are undertones implicit highly contentious hit. A criticism that has come Aldean’s way has been that the ominous language of “Try That in a Small Town” echoes the coded or uncoded threats that have historically been associated with the South’s “sundown towns” — places where, in the most dangerous eras of segregation, people of color and other outsiders were advised to get out of before dark. Now the singer known as Adeem the Artist has made that interpretation of Aldean’s “See how far ya get down the road” lyrics explicit with a parody song posted on social media called “Sundown Town.” (Hear the song embedded in the artist’s tweet, below.)

Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany is standing by her husband’s side.  After Aldean’s new single, "Try That In A Small Town," sparked backlash, Brittany reacted on her social media and thanked fans for their support. "Man do we love y’all. Free thinkers, lions not sheep… thankful for the support, always!" she wrote on her Instagram Wednesday.

Jason Aldean’s new music video has a surprising Canadian connection.

The View’s hosts aren’t holding back as they join in on the discourse about Jason Aldean’s new controversial song, “Try That in a Small Town.”

Rising country star Parker McCollum is defending Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert in the wake of their respective music controversies.

accused of promoting violence with his latest song “Try That in a Small Town,” which includes the inflammatory lyrics: “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s–t might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, brought attention to the lyrics in a tweet posted Sunday night, in which she said the song is “about how [Aldean] and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns.”Watts also pointed out that Aldean “was on-stage during the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 that killed 60 people and wounded over 400 more.”The music video for “Try That in a Small Town” — which sees Aldean performing in front of a courthouse known for lynchings — was pulled from CMT programming following the backlash..@Jason_Aldean – who was on-stage during the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 that killed 60 people and wounded over 400 more – has recorded a song called “Try That In A Small Town” about how he and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns. pic.twitter.com/hWGdEgS33vThe video was released on Friday, July 14, and played on CMT through the morning music video hours on Sunday, July 16, according to Billboard.While Watts’ tweet came later that same Sunday, the news of the removal broke on Tuesday, and upon hearing about it, she tweeted: “Proud to have had a hand in getting CMT to reject this racist and violent song.”Despite the video being pulled from CMT, ABC still decided to air a pre-taped performance of Aldean’s song as part of its CMA Fest concert special Wednesday.

Aldean denied the song “Try That in a Small Town” has any racist intentions or undertones. The tune describes how rural America will not accept the same riotous behavior and criminality that has besieged many urban areas since 2020.“These references are not only meritless but dangerous,” Aldean said, after criticism of his use of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., as a backdrop. A white mob hanged Henry Choate there in 1927, according to one media critic of the music video, Ashton Pittman of the Mississippi Free Press.Aldean notably stood firm when he was harshly criticized from the left after his wife posted photos of their children in anti-President Biden attire in 2021.On “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Boone said country music has fallen in stature as of late.“I can’t believe it’s country music,” he said.

Jason Aldean may be receiving widespread hate for his controversial "Try That In A Small Town" video, but he has garnered the support of one fellow country musician – who advised Aldean not to listen to the noise. Travis Tritt took to Twitter Wednesday evening to offer his remarks on the backlash Aldean has received, writing, "I would like to remind my friend @Jason_Aldean that Twitter and social media in general is not a real place.The views shared by many accounts on this platform are not actually representative of the vast majority of the population of this country." Aldean's video has been labeled by some as dangerous, racist and pro-lynching. "Say what you want to say and be who you want to be.

Jason Aldean is tackling his latest controversy with his wife, Brittany, by his side. Aldean’s new single, "Try That in a Small Town," has sparked backlash for its perceived racist content and had its music video pulled from Country Music Television (CMT).

“racist” and “pro-lynching.”Aldean, an outspoken conservative, performed the set on June 10 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium in honor of the Country Music Association’s 50th anniversary. Hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King, and Lainey Wilson, Wednesday’s CMA Fest broadcast also featured performances by Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, and Luke Combs.But none was more divisive than Aldean’s concert, which aired one day after he called the accusations that he “released a pro-lynching song … not only meritless, but dangerous.”“Oh no CMA fest gonna get cancelled for playing this Jason aldean song,” one person tweeted Wednesday.“Honestly CMA fest allowing disgusting @Jason_Aldean to still perform is g r o s s,” another wrote.

Jason Aldean‘s performance of his controversial song will be televised.