Jason Aldean is defending his new controversial tune and music video that was pulled by CMT, calling claims made in opposition to the observe “not solely meritless, however harmful.”
After Aldean launched “Attempt That In a Small City” in Could and its accompanying music video on Friday, it was criticized for selling gun violence and taking goal on the Black Lives Matter motion.
The observe options the lyrics: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face/Stomp on the flag and lightweight it up/Yeah, ya assume you’re powerful/Properly, strive that in a small city/See how far ya make it down the street.” Aldean later sings on the tune, “Bought a gun that my granddad gave me/They are saying at some point they’re gonna spherical up/Properly, that shit may fly within the metropolis, good luck.”
The music video options the burning of the American flag, protests, looting and extra. CMT, which is devoted to nation music movies, pulled the clip from its rotation on Monday.
Aldean denied the allegations in opposition to his tune in a tweet on Tuesday.
“Up to now 24 hours I’ve been accused of releasing a pro-lynching tune … and was topic to the comparability that I (direct quote) was not too happy with the nationwide BLM protests. These references should not solely meritless, however harmful,” he wrote. “There’s not a single lyric within the tune that references race or factors to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t actual information footage -and whereas I can try to respect others to have their very own interpretation of a tune with music- this one goes too far.”
On social media some customers have been offended by the lyrics, particularly since Aldean was performing onstage on the Route 91 Harvest Music Competition in Las Vegas in 2017 when a shooter opened fireplace and killed 60 concertgoers and injured a whole lot extra. In his tweet, the Grammy-nominated star referenced the tragedy: “NO ONE, together with me, needs to proceed to see mindless headlines or households ripped aside.”
“‘Attempt That In A Small City,’ for me, refers back to the feeling of a neighborhood that I had rising up, the place we took care of our neighbors, no matter variations of background or perception. As a result of they have been our neighbors, and that was above any variations,” he continued. “My political opinions have by no means been one thing I’ve hidden from, and I do know that loads of us on this Nation don’t agree on how we get again to a way of normalcy the place we go at the least a day with no headline that retains us up at evening. However the want for it to- that’s what this tune is about.”
“Attempt That In a Small City” peaked at No. 35 on Billboard’s Sizzling nation songs chart in June. The tune is No. 25 on this week’s Billboard nation airplay chart, which tracks success at nation radio.
