OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Following a massive controversy over his song “Try That In A Small Town,” country singer Jason Aldean has finally addressed all of the talk.
He spoke before singing his popular song, which some critics have deemed “racist” even as no reference to race was made in any of the lyrics, at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday night.
“I gotta tell you guys,” he said to the crowd. “It’s been a long-a** week. It’s been a long week and I’ve seen a lot of stuff, I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that.”
“I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinion,” the singer said. “You can think something all you want to; that doesn’t mean it’s true, right?
“What I am is a proud American. 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*** started happening to it,” he said.
“I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that, I can tell you that right now,” he said as the crowd began chanting “USA!”
Aldean had previously spoken about the controversy in a long post on Instagram.
“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” he said. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and that isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage — and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music — this one goes too far.”
“As many pointed out, I was present at Route 91 — where so many lost their lives — and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy,” he said. “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
“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 neighbors, regardless of differences of background or believe,” he said. “Because they were our neighbors, 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 County 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 to — that’s what this song is about.”
The women of the ABC talk show “The View” have never been slaves to facts and that trend has continued after Aldean’s song caused controversy.
CMT (Country Music Television” removed the video from its network because people complained that the video and lyrics, which refer to the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, were somehow deemed racist.
Co-Host Sunny Hostin, in talking about the artist and video, said that Aldean’s hometown of Macon, Georgia is known to be “racist” but facts get in the way of her assertions.
“I’m actually not going to give [Aldean] the benefit of the doubt,” Hostin said.
“As a lawyer, when I put my legal hat on, I don’t believe in censorship,” she said. “However, this man is from Macon, Georgia. My father’s from Augusta, Georgia, and Macon, Georgia. I spent many summers there. … It is one of the most racist places in this country.
“So don’t tell me that he knew nothing about what that imagery [from the music video] meant. … So I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt,” she said.
But Western Journal reported that what she claims is highly unlikely.
According to the Census Bureau, Macon-Bibb County is majority black: 54.3 percent to 38.4 percent white. If there is rampant anti-black racism there, it’s being perpetrated by the minority.
In fact, the local government has four black commission members, and the mayor’s web page features a prominent entry about “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” efforts.
But Hostin had to end the segment by reading a legal note from Aldean’s team.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the cohost said. “I have a legal note: Jason Aldean defended his song in a statement, saying the references people have made are not only meritless but dangerous.”
“He added there is not a single lyric in that song that references race or points to it, and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage,” she said.
“Did you ever hear of a dog whistle?” cohost Joy Behar said.
“And while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music, this one goes too far,” Hostin said, continuing the legal note.
