Jason Aldean recently addressed the criticism surrounding his controversial song “Try That in a Small Town” and the corresponding music video. In a taped interview for CBS Mornings, Aldean defended his intentions with the song and video, explaining that the idea behind it was to showcase the lawlessness and disrespect for law enforcement. He clarified that he did not select the controversial images and clips included in the video.
The country singer expressed his surprise that the narrative surrounding the song and video shifted to become more racially charged. He stated that if individuals interpreted the song and video in a racial context, it was their own interpretation and not the intention behind his work.
While Aldean did not specifically refer to whose lawlessness and disrespect for police he was criticizing, he previously expressed his dissatisfaction with the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. However, he emphasized that there was no racial reference in either the lyrics or video footage of the song.
Aldean defended the video against criticism that it targeted and stereotyped Black Americans. He highlighted the presence of people of all colors in the video, including both white and Black individuals. He believed that those who viewed the video as singling out one specific group were not observing the content closely enough.
Related Post
Addressing the choice of location for the music video, which was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, Aldean denied purposely choosing the building due to its historical significance. While the location was the site of the lynching of Henry Choate, a young Black man in 1927, Aldean stated that he did not research the history of the location before shooting the video. He explained that he chose the courthouse because it was in his hometown county and he frequently visited it for mundane tasks, such as getting his car tags.
Aldean acknowledged that racial issues have occurred in small town courthouses throughout the South and that he did not feel remorseful for choosing that location. He firmly believed in his intentions behind the video and song.
Despite the backlash surrounding the video, Aldean stated that he would still make the same choices to create it, except for the location. In hindsight, he admitted that he would consider filming it somewhere else if he knew it would become such a controversial topic.
Aldean also mentioned that he expected some reaction to a lyric in the song that mentioned guns. He anticipated that the mention of guns would stir up discussion but did not anticipate the level of backlash that resulted, attributing it more to the video than the actual song itself.
In the interview, Aldean aimed to explain and defend his artistic decisions while addressing the criticisms raised against him. He wanted to make it clear that his intentions were not racially motivated and that the focus of the video was intended to be on lawlessness and disrespect for law enforcement.
Through his interview, Aldean hoped to clear up any misconceptions and emphasize that the interpretation of his work lies with the audience. He encouraged viewers to take a closer look at the video to see that it did not target one specific group. While acknowledging the controversy, Aldean stood behind his creative choices and expressed his commitment to his vision as an artist.
