Jason Aldean’s 'Try That in a Small Town' has risen to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 despite the debate surrounding the song.
The single was released in May and debuted at number two on the charts.
The song has courted controversy ever since because of its lyrics, which include the lines: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, you think you’re tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far you make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own.”
It also contains the 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."
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Critics of the song include the musician Sheryl Crow, who wrote on Twitter: “I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
In October 2017, Aldean was performing at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire. Sixty people were killed and 867 were injured.
The music video for 'Try That in a Small Town' was released last month and only attracted more criticism.
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It featured footage of Black Lives Matter protesters facing off against police interspersed with Aldean’s performance at a Tennessee courthouse known for the 1927 lynching of a Black man.
On July 18, Country Music Television (CMT) announced they had pulled the music video after just three days.
Aldean then defended the song on Twitter, writing: "'Try That In A Small Town', for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbours, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbours, and that was above any differences.
"My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it, that’s what this song is about.
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He then doubled down while performing at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 21.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that. Here’s the thing, here’s one thing I feel: I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to, it doesn’t mean it’s true, right?" he said on stage.
“What I am is a proud American,” he continued.
“I’m proud to be from here. I love our country, I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bulls**t started happening to us. I love our country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that. I can tell you that right now.”
Topics: Music
Keryn Donnelly