'Nothing to apologize for': 5 reactions to the outcry over Jason Aldean's 'Small Town' music video
1. Jason Aldean
In a Twitter post last Tuesday, Aldean lamented that “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 [Black Lives Matter] protests.”
Aldean added, “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
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. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.…
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and there 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,” he said. “'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 belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”
Aldean stressed that “my political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know 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.” He described the “desire for it to” as “what this song’s all about.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
