PHOTO:Jason Aldrean PR Photo for 52nd Annual CMA Awards Photo credit: Miller Mobley
Jason Aldean Music Video Pulled From CMT
The music video for Jason Aldean’s single “Try That In A Small Town” was pulled from CMT on Monday, July 17th.
Billboard reports the video was in rotation on CMT from its debut on Friday, July 14th until Sunday, July 16th.
The video, which is still available on YouTube, shows Aldean performing in front of a courthouse interspersed with footage of a flag burning, protesters screaming and attacking police in various scenarios, and robbing a convenience store
The “pro-lynching” reference is because the music video opens with Jason performing in front of the Maury County courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee.
It’s where an 18-year-old Black man was lynched by a mob in 1927.
In a statement posted to his Instagram Story, the singer wrote in part,
“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. 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 to respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one has gone too far.”
Jason also defended the lyric about the gun his “granddad” gave him.
“As many pointed out, I was present at Route 91, where so many lost their lives, and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. No one, including me, wants to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
