- CMT has taken down a music video by Jason Aldean following allegations that the song promotes lynching.
- In response, Aldean issued a statement on Tuesday, dismissing the claims as “meritless” and “dangerous.”
- The song, titled “Try That In A Small Town,” was initially released in May.
CMT decided to remove one of Jason Aldean’s country music videos due to allegations that it supported lynching, but Aldean dismissed these claims as baseless.
The song, titled “Try That in a Small Town,” criticizes criminals who engage in carjacking, assault, robbery, and disrespecting law enforcement. It also addresses individuals who show contempt towards the American flag.
In the lyrics, Aldean sings about the futility of such behavior in small towns and emphasizes the unity of the community to protect their own. However, online critics pointed out perceived racial undertones and references to violence within the song and its music video. Notably, country star Sheryl Crow expressed her view that even small town residents are tired of violence.
The music video was filmed in front of the Columbia County Courthouse in Tennessee, where a Black man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927, as reported by Variety.
A TikToker named Destinee Stark argued that even though the song’s lyrics do not explicitly mention race, they can still imply racial undertones. In her viral TikTok video, Stark connected the song’s chorus and the line “We take care of our own” to the concept of “sundown towns.”
Sundown towns were places where Black people faced intimidation, discriminatory laws, and violence during the civil-rights movement, which aimed to discourage them from residing or passing through.
Following the online backlash, CMT removed the music video from circulation without providing an explanation, according to The Tennessean.
Aldean responded to the criticism on Twitter, firmly stating that the allegations of promoting lynching are unfounded and dangerous. He clarified that the song’s lyrics do not address race, and the protest footage in the music video is real news content.
Insider contacted CMT for comment, but no response has been received as of Wednesday.
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