(NewsNation) — Country Music Television’s decision to pull Jason Aldean’s newly released music video for “Try That in a Small Town” came after outcries that its contents were racist and promoted violence.
Alden also has spoken out, taking to Twitter on Monday to defend himself.
“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,” Aldean wrote.
Below is the music video. Here’s a chance for you to watch it and decide for yourself.
The song was released in May but its music video debuted last week. Aldean’s lyrics talk about “good ol’ boys / protecting (their) own.”
Throughout the video, footage from protests that turned violent or destructive overlay shots of a singing Aldean standing in front of a courthouse.
The setting of the video is a leading point of contention. The Maury County Courthouse in Colombia, Tennessee, was the site of the 1927 lynching of a Black teenage boy named Henry Choates.
The production company behind the music video has since told Entertainment Tonight that Aldean didn’t choose the video’s location. Others have come to his defense, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
Aldean has also said he was present for the 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival shooting in Las Vegas and want to see an end to families being “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 belief,” Aldean tweeted. “Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”
Critics, including fellow musicians like Sheryl Crow, say otherwise.
“I’m from a small town,” Crow wrote to Aldean on Twitter. “Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
A CMT spokesperson confirmed to NewsNation’s partner The Hill that the video “has been removed,” but did comment further.
The song hit No. 1 on iTunes this week.