Artists from the country and Christian music genres came together to perform in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a>, on Monday evening for a benefit event for The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-covenant-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covenant School</a>.
&#8220;A Covenant Knight&#8221; at the Grand Ole Opry featured performances by Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion, Anne Wilson, and others several months after a deadly mass shooting at the local Christian school.
&#8220;I am so grateful for the way music impacts our lives and can bring us together, and I’m hoping this event will help everyone feel Jesus’ presence,&#8221; Wilson <a href="https://twitter.com/Annewilsonmusic/status/1674048785603870721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X ahead of the event.
All proceeds from the show are being directed to The Covenant School Community Fund to &#8220;continue mental health support for healing, ease the transition back into the building and equip the school for a safe, successful new year together,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.opry.com/show/2023-08-07-covenant-benefit-at-7-30-pm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event page on Opry&#8217;s website</a>. The event was put together with the help of two parents of students who attend the school, Houston Phillips and Chad Schultz, who are also music industry veterans.
The shooting at The Covenant School in late March killed three children and three adults. The victims have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9; Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.
Authorities released body camera video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graphic-bodycam-footage-shows-heroic-police-response-to-nashville-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> police officers responding to the shooting and taking out the shooter, who allegedly was a 28-year-old transgender-identifying woman. The Daily Wire is not naming the suspect to avoid giving notoriety to mass killers.
People who missed the benefit can expect the show to air for six consecutive nights on the Circle Network starting on August 19, the Opry event page said. A smattering of posts and clips from the show made their way to social media that offered a glimpse of the performances and remarks given by some of the artists.
&#8220;I want to give a shout-out to the first responders here in Nashville who did such an amazing job,&#8221; Aldean told people in attendance, as shown in a clip posted to Instagram by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/98wsix/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local radio station The Big 98</a>.
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&#8220;Glad to be here, glad to help out, and I think about you guys — have been for a long time,&#8221; Aldean added.
One TikTok account <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hannaheatsnashville/video/7264813293833997614?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted a video</a> showing Wallen addressing the audience.
&#8220;Nobody should ever have to go through what you went through,&#8221; Wallen said. &#8220;But I just wanted to let you know that me and my family have been praying for you and that we&#8217;re here for you and we&#8217;ve just been thinking about you.&#8221;
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&#8220;You know, I&#8217;ve got a 3-year-old boy, and he&#8217;s not at school yet, but whenever I heard this news my mind couldn&#8217;t help but go straight to him and think about what you guys are going through,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s just an honor to be here, to try to give you guys some hope, to try to hopefully have a little bit of fun as well tonight.&#8221;
The benefit event took place as children across the country begin to return to classrooms for the new school year.
As of press time, The Covenant School Community Fund website <a href="https://factsmgtadmin.com/give/appeal/iWSuCKbG7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said it had raised</a> more than $570,000 across 279 donations.

Morgan Wallen

Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, And Other Music Artists Unite For The Covenant School Benefit

Charity

Jason Aldean

Mass Shooting

Music

Nashville

Tennessee

The Covenant School

U.S.

Country music is having a moment, but it’s more significant than it looks.
Three country stars sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the first days of August. That marked a first for the Heartland-friendly genre, according to the music charting company which began tallying such figures in 1958.
Jason Aldean (“Try That in a Small Town”), Morgan Wallen (“Last Night”), and Luke Combs (“Fast Car”) held the first three spots, beating back pop superstars like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and The Weeknd.
Those achievements matter more than just for historical purposes. Each artist ran headfirst into the woke mob and not only survived but thrived. And, by extension, the public stood behind the trio and sent a message with their purses and wallets.
You can’t cancel country stars without our permission.
Aldean’s right-leaning politics emerged during the Trump years. The singer says he couldn’t stay silent on political matters any longer, and he began addressing issues like vaccine mandates and President Joe Biden’s wobbly first term.
That may have raised some eyebrows in Left-leaning Country, Inc. but Aldean enraged the woke Left by uncorking his ode to patriotic small towns. His “Try That in a Small Town” came out in the spring, but the music video behind the song gave it a promotional booster shot in recent weeks.
The video and the song’s lyrics address the BLM/Antifa riots that engulfed the country following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020:
<blockquote>Got a gun that my granddad gave me 
They say one day they&#8217;re gonna round up 
Well, that s*** might fly in the city, good luck
Try that in a small town 
See how far ya make it down the road 
Around here, we take care of our own 
You cross that line, it won&#8217;t take long 
For you to find out, I recommend you don&#8217;t 
Try that in a small town</blockquote>
The song’s pugnacious lyrics took no prisoners, but musicians have told violent stories for years without blowback. Tell that to the media and the Left. They joined forces against Aldean. CMT pulled the music video from its lineup. Critics lambasted its lyrics as reminiscent of a &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/jason-aldean-courthouse-black-teen-lynched-try-that-small-town-rcna95080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro-lynching&#8221;</a> mindset. <a href="https://variety.com/2023/music/opinion/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-worst-country-song-video-column-1235673177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety dubbed it</a>, “the most contemptible country song of the decade.”
It didn’t matter that Aldean’s song doesn’t mention race, or that the BLM/Antifa riots were multicultural to the core. Nor that Aldean could have been writing from the perspective of a fed-up soul, sick of seeing his country burning.
Songwriters embrace the creative license to spin tales from any number of vantage points.
The fix was in, and in cases like this, the artist quickly grovels for forgiveness. <a href="https://people.com/movies/stephen-king-admits-stepped-over-line-oscars-diversity-comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen King</a> did just that. So did <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/video/scarlett-johansson-apologizes-accepting-transgender-185916559.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarlett Johansson</a>.
Not Aldean. Here’s what he said to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/jason-aldean-stands-by-try-that-in-a-small-town-amid-backlash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cincinnati crowd</a> in reference to the controversy:
“It’s been a long week, and I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that … I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinions. You can think something all you want to it doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“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 us. I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that, I can tell you that right now.”
No apology. No backpedal.
Soon enough, the song started making serious noise on various charts before hitting number one via <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billboard</a>.
Aldean stood up to the Cancel Culture mob and won. He still may suffer professional consequences, but it’s clear his fans have his back.
Wallen’s Cancel Culture fight proved far more insidious.
In 2021, TMZ released a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/02/02/morgan-wallen-n-word-nashville-neighbors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">privately shot video</a> in which Wallen used the “n-word.” He didn’t say it in a public venue, nor did he hurl it at a black person (he later indicated he directed the word at a good friend, and he was inebriated at the time.) He apologized immediately, but it wasn’t accepted by many in his industry. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/country/morgan-wallen-timeline-racial-slur-video-9587738/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wallen’s music got pulled</a> from radio and streaming platforms the very next day, the latter including Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music. The ACM Awards said he was ineligible to win that year and his label suspended him “indefinently.” His booking agent also dropped him.
He later publicly apologized, met with black leaders, suspended his touring schedule, and checked into a rehab facility.
His fans stood by him. In fact, Wallen’s record sales soared following the cancellation.
The singer slowly re-entered the music marketplace, returning to live performances and releasing fresh material to build his career back.
It worked. His sales continued to climb and fans packed his appearances. Meanwhile, the press recoiled at his recovery efforts, suggesting he should <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/morgan-wallen-banned-country-radio-1227035/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remain canceled</a>, indefinitely.
The public made the final call. Again.
Combs’ woke battle happened in a much smaller fashion, but it’s still indicative of the press’ disdain for the genre. The singer uncorked a respectful cover of the 1988 Tracy Chapman smash “Fast Car,” and the song quickly connected with a new generation.
That makes for a great story – one of the more unlikely crossover hits in recent memory. The Washington Post saw the story and decided to make Chapman, who is black and gay, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/07/13/tracy-chapman-luke-combs-fast-car-cover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a victim</a>:
&#8220;Although many are thrilled to see ‘Fast Car’ back in the spotlight and a new generation discovering Chapman’s work, it’s clouded by the fact that, as a Black queer woman, Chapman, 59, would have almost zero chance of that achievement herself in country music.&#8221;
The article got roasted, and rightly so, on social media. Chapman hardly seemed upset by the turn of events. The cover version <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/luke-combs-fast-car-success-marred-complicated-racial-debate-washington-post" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned her a small fortune</a>, and she praised Combs for putting her back atop the music charts.
&#8220;I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’&#8221;
Three country smashes. Three woke fails.
The far-Left can throw its weight around all it wants, but when the American public unites it remains a far more powerful force.
Just ask any Bud Light executive, assuming he or she is still gainfully employed.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2023 Country Thunder Wisconsin – Day 3

Three Country Stars Crush Billboard Charts, Defy The Woke Mob

Country Music

Entertainment

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jason-aldean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean</a>&#8216;s new song &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try that in a small Town</a>&#8221; landed in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, followed by two other country artists, marking the first time ever that the top 3 spots on the chart are all occupied by country stars.
The 46-year-old country singer&#8217;s song hit the airwaves in May but it wasn&#8217;t until he released the music video for it earlier this month that it drew a backlash and sent streams skyrocketing and allowing the song to shoot up the chart, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-number-one-hot-100-country-hits-top-three-1235382220/?tum_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billboard</a> magazine noted.
While Aldean has enjoyed the top spot, country singer Morgan Wallen&#8217;s &#8220;Last Night&#8221; sits in the number two, followed by country artists Luke Combs&#8217; cover of Tracy Chapman&#8217;s &#8220;Fast Car&#8221; in third place. This marks the first time ever in the history of the all-genre music chart that country music has scored the top three spots in a single week, dating back to the start of the chart in August 1958, the outlet noted.
The country singer recently went viral after he took to Twitter and wrote to his 3.8 million followers thanking them for support amid the backlash against the song.
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Thank u guys. Ready to see u back out there this weekend! 🇺🇸🤘🏼 <a href="https://t.co/qtH8yUdpLy">pic.twitter.com/qtH8yUdpLy</a>
&mdash; Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1683585840159551489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Aldean&#8217;s post included a clip from one of his shows over the weekend in which he addressed a fan who asked if he would be singing the song. At the time of this publication, the post has been viewed 1.8 million times.
&#8220;So, somebody asked me, &#8216;Hey man, do you think you&#8217;re going to play this song tonight?'&#8221; Aldean told the crowd.
&#8220;The answer was simple,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The people have spoken, and you guys spoke very, very loudly this week.&#8221;
The comments stem from headlines about the &#8220;Dirt Road Anthem&#8221; hitmaker&#8217;s music video for the song that came out on July 14, which critics claimed was &#8220;racist&#8221; and &#8220;pro-lynching.&#8221;
Following the backlash, CMT pulled the singer&#8217;s music video and has yet to respond as to why. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aldean hit back</a> against the criticism, calling it &#8220;meritless&#8221; and &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
After the song was pulled and Aldean responded, the ballad ended up <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-video-pulled-cmt-1235373842/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting</a> to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-shoots-to-number-one-amid-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top</a> of the all-genre iTunes chart, and streams of the song have increased by 999%, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-thanks-fans-support-after-small-town-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> noted.
The &#8220;Dirt Road Anthem&#8221; hitmaker scored his first number one on the Hot 100 chart back in 2005 with his 40th entry on the chart, &#8220;Hicktown,&#8221; Billboard noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-thanks-fans-for-support-of-try-that-in-a-small-town-says-the-people-have-spoken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean Thanks Fans For Support Of &#8216;Try That In A Small Town,&#8217; Says The &#8216;People Have Spoken&#8217;</a>

Jason Aldean Lands In Number One Spot As Country Artists Dominate Music Chart For First Time Ever

Celebrities

Country singer

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-greenwood-proud-to-be-an-american-singer-latest-to-pull-out-of-nra-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Greenwood</a> issued a dire warning about America&#8217;s future if the trend of canceling artists continues following attempts to cancel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-shoots-to-number-one-amid-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean</a> over the music video for &#8220;Try That in a Small Town,&#8221; which critics claimed was &#8220;pro-lynching.&#8221;
The 80-year-old country music said &#8220;Freedom of expression is under attack&#8221; in an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/cancel-culture-mob-attacked-jason-aldean-they-came-god-bless-usa-they-cant-cancel-all-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> headlined, &#8220;Cancel culture mob attacked Jason Aldean. They came for &#8216;God Bless the USA.&#8217; But they can&#8217;t cancel all of us.&#8221;
&#8220;The latest &#8216;cancel culture&#8217; attack has struck directly through the heart of country music as the mob has come for one of our most popular current stars, Jason Aldean,&#8221; the &#8220;God Bless the USA&#8221; singer wrote.
&#8220;Make no mistake, this isn&#8217;t just about Jason — who is a friend, and I&#8217;m also a fan — this is about all of us in country music,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Freedom of expression is under attack. We are increasingly seeing it throughout our culture. Yet, freedom of speech and creative expression are essential to a free country — it&#8217;s the American way of life.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
THE AMERICAN WAY: Cancel culture mob attacked Jason Aldean — they came for ‘God Bless the USA’ too. Read Lee Greenwood&#39;s compelling op-ed: <a href="https://t.co/Kh7Kvntrii">https://t.co/Kh7Kvntrii</a> <a href="https://t.co/L1Y1qOMLBt">pic.twitter.com/L1Y1qOMLBt</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1685636399960031234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Canceling artists is anti-American, it&#8217;s insidious and if it gains a foothold, it will take another generation to weed it out,&#8221; Greenwood continued, noting his own experience of being &#8220;canceled&#8221; and &#8220;terminated&#8221; from the National Endowment of the Arts one year into President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
The country singer said no reason was given but he suspected it was because he refused to &#8220;demand&#8221; former President Donald Trump stop playing his song &#8220;God Bless the USA&#8221; at Trump rallies.
&#8220;The reason I won&#8217;t give in, and the reason Jason Aldean won&#8217;t back down, is we know how this ends,&#8221; Greenwood wrote. &#8220;We must ensure that we don&#8217;t allow cancel culture to take our freedom of expression away. In response to the cancel culture, I&#8217;m committing the rest of my life to freedom of expression, to country music, and to America&#8217;s veterans who&#8217;ve died and served to protect those freedoms.&#8221;
&#8220;We must send a message to every queller of free speech that their actions are not welcome here and as my song says, &#8216;… that the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;May God bless our country music artists, our Veterans, and may God Bless the USA.&#8221;
The country star&#8217;s piece included details about his latest project for what his website called &#8220;Concerts 4 A Cause&#8221; a mission &#8220;to send 50,000 VETERANS to movie theaters&#8221; in America for free on Veteran&#8217;s Day for a theatrical premiere of a star-studded country concert. More information can be found <a href="https://adoptavet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Lee Greenwood

Lee Greenwood Warns What Will Happen If Cancel Culture Isn’t Stopped

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jason-aldean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean</a> sent a message to fans thanking them for their support of &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try That In A Small Town</a>&#8221; amid backlash against the song.
The 46-year-old country singer went viral after he took to <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1683585840159551489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1683585840159551489%7Ctwgr%5E26af57ae2dd5e13b25ebf7a12ce26f85c2ffdcc6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fentertainment%2Fjason-aldean-thanks-fans-support-after-small-town-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> on Monday and wrote to his 3.8 million followers, &#8220;Thank [you] guys. Ready to see [you] back out there this weekend!&#8221; His post included an American flag emoji and a rocker hand emoji.
Aldean&#8217;s post shared a clip from one of his shows over the weekend in which he addressed a fan who asked if he would be singing the song. At the time of this publication, the post has been viewed 1.4 million times.
&#8220;So, somebody asked me, &#8216;Hey man, do you think you&#8217;re going to play this song tonight?'&#8221; Aldean told the crowd.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank u guys. Ready to see u back out there this weekend! 🇺🇸🤘🏼 <a href="https://t.co/qtH8yUdpLy">pic.twitter.com/qtH8yUdpLy</a>
&mdash; Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1683585840159551489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The answer was simple,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The people have spoken, and you guys spoke very, very loudly this week.&#8221;
The comments stem from headlines about the &#8220;Dirt Road Anthem&#8221; hitmaker&#8217;s new music video for a song that hit the airwaves in May. The video came out on July 14, and critics claimed it was &#8220;racist,&#8221; &#8220;pro-lynching,&#8221; and more.
Following the backlash, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CMT pulled</a> the singer&#8217;s music video and has yet to respond as to why. Aldean hit back against the criticism, calling it &#8220;meritless&#8221; and &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
After the song was pulled and Aldean responded, the ballad ended up <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-video-pulled-cmt-1235373842/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting</a> to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-shoots-to-number-one-amid-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top of the all-genre chart</a>, and streams of the song have increased by 999%, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-thanks-fans-support-after-small-town-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> noted.
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Last week, the country star released a <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1681382697875144717?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy statement</a> on Twitter slamming the idea the song is anything but a cry for Americans to come back together.
&#8220;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,&#8221; Aldean tweeted. &#8220;These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.&#8221;
&#8220;There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn&#8217;t a single video clip that isn&#8217;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,&#8221; he added.
The country star wrote that this song is about the &#8220;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.&#8221;
He concluded his post by noting how his &#8220;political views&#8221; are well known, but this song is about the &#8220;desire&#8221; to get back to some &#8220;sense of normalcy.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean Responds To Backlash Over New Music Video That Slams Leftist Policies</a>

Jason Aldean Thanks Fans For Support Of ‘Try That In A Small Town,’ Says The ‘People Have Spoken’

Jason Aldean Goes Viral In Post Thanking Fans For Support Of ‘Try That In A Small Town'

Riots

Country superstar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jason-aldean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean</a> is speaking out after the Left hurled accusations of racism at him due to his anti-violence and pro-America song, &#8220;Try That In A Small Town.&#8221; In short, it&#8217;s clear that Aldean won&#8217;t be apologizing anytime soon and is instead choosing to double down on his patriotic message.
&#8220;It&#8217;s been a long-a** week,&#8221; he said on Friday night in Cincinnati to thousands of concert-goers. Aldean has been slammed by fellow country artists and dragged in the media because he had the gall to condemn rioting and sucker punches.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I&#8217;m this, suggesting I&#8217;m that,&#8221; he said, prompting boos from the crowd. &#8220;Here&#8217;s the thing &#8230; I feel like everybody&#8217;s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to, doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s true. What I am is a proud American. I am proud to be from here.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reported earlier this week the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46-year-old</a> country singer’s song hit the airwaves in May, but it wasn’t until he released a video for it on July 14 that the song began receiving criticism. Country Music Television (CMT) even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> the singer’s music video in the wake of the controversy generated by the Left.
“I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bull**** started happening to us,&#8221; he added. The crowd began a &#8220;USA! USA! USA!&#8221; chant in response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🇺🇸 USA Chants Break Out as Jason Aldean Addresses the Media Attacks on Him This Week
“I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bullsh*t started happening to us.”
*From last night’s show in Cincinnati, OH (7/21) <a href="https://t.co/VKGRIp0PvD">pic.twitter.com/VKGRIp0PvD</a>
&mdash; Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1682696896647659525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Despite the Left&#8217;s efforts to effectively cancel Aldean, &#8220;Try That In A Small Town&#8221; has become one of the most popular songs in America, even earning the #1 spot on iTunes this week.
The music video can be viewed here:
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7029">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b1_RKu-ESCY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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‘I Love Our Country,’ Want It ‘Restored’: Jason Aldean Slams ‘Bull****,’ Sends Patriotic Message At Concert

'I Love Our Country,' Want It 'Restored': Jason Aldean Slams 'Bull****,' Sends Patriotic Message At Concert

Cancel Culture

Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matt-walsh-goes-viral-after-disney-admits-woke-snow-white-remake-images-are-real" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Walsh</a> went viral after he blasted leftists who celebrate &#8220;violent&#8221; rap music getting upset about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-shoots-to-number-one-amid-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean&#8217;s</a> new song, &#8220;Try That in a Small Town.&#8221;
Aldean&#8217;s hit was released in May but has recently generated a buzz after the Left deemed it &#8220;racist&#8221; and &#8220;pro-lynching.&#8221;
&#8220;The Matt Walsh Show&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matt-walsh-torches-obamas-defense-of-pornographic-books-about-gay-sex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a> host <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1681472685321142273?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that it was &#8220;hilarious to hear the media accuse Jason Aldean of writing a song that &#8216;promotes violence&#8217; when nearly every rap song for the past 30 years has directly and enthusiastically glorified murder, drug dealing, robbery and every other violent crime, and these people say nothing.&#8221;
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Hilarious to hear the media accuse Jason Aldean of writing a song that &quot;promotes violence&quot; when nearly every rap song for the past 30 years has directly and enthusiastically glorified murder, drug dealing, robbery and every other violent crime, and these people say nothing
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1681472685321142273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The viral tweet has 3.1 million views and counting at the time of publication. Walsh followed that up with another that read, &#8220;One of the top rap videos on YouTube is called &#8216;Robberies&#8217; by King Von and it&#8217;s all about him robbing and killing people.&#8221;
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One of the top rap videos on YouTube is called &quot;Robberies&quot; by King Von and it&#39;s all about him robbing and killing people. The rapper was recently killed in a gang shooting. Before his death he was implicated in multiple murders and other crimes. But Jason Aldean is the problem.
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1681473493207056384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The rapper was recently killed in a gang shooting. Before his death, he was implicated in multiple murders and other crimes. But Jason Aldean is the problem,&#8221; Walsh added sarcastically.
During Walsh&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshShow/status/1681725738276274177?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a>, he commented on the backlash against Aldean. He said the real reason the Left and media are causing a stir is their &#8220;own racism,&#8221; &#8220;anti-whiteism,&#8221; and political bigotry.
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Leftists Who Celebrate Violent Rap Music Suddenly Offended By ‘Violent’ Country Song <a href="https://t.co/DbUJ6AHtPJ">pic.twitter.com/DbUJ6AHtPJ</a>
&mdash; The Matt Walsh Show (@MattWalshShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshShow/status/1681725738276274177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Walsh played the opening line of Aldean&#8217;s song about carjacking an old lady at a red light then analyzed the lyrics, saying they are &#8220;warning that if they behave this way in a small town, they won&#8217;t make it down the road, because, as he says, folks in small towns take care of their own and don&#8217;t put up with that kind of nonsense.&#8221;
The host noted how the reaction prompted Country Music Television (CMT) to pull <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aldean&#8217;s</a> new music video, after which the country singer released a statement slamming the racism claims as &#8220;meritless&#8221; and &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-52286">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;In your typical rap song, violence is advocated against anybody and everybody, not for the sake of defending yourself or your community, but for the sake of profit or selling,&#8221; said Walsh. &#8220;Settling a score with someone from a rival gang or proving how tough you are, etc. You know, if a rap song mentions carjacking people at red lights or pulling guns on liquor store owners it&#8217;ll be because the artist is bragging about doing those things.&#8221;
&#8220;Aldean condemns those crimes,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Rap artists explicitly promote and glorify them&#8230;So why does Aldean get held to a standard that is never applied to the most popular rap artists in the world?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, because Aldean is white, number one and conservative and he sings country music,&#8221; Walsh continued. &#8220;I mean, that&#8217;s the whole reason&#8230;They accuse him of racism, but it&#8217;s their own racism, their anti-whiteism. Actually, several forms of racism at play here, given all the assumptions that they&#8217;re making, again, about black people by taking his lyrics as racial. That&#8217;s what&#8217;s driving this and their political bigotries as well.&#8221;

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh Blasts Leftists Upset About Jason Aldean’s New Song Who Celebrate ‘Violent’ Rap Music

Rap Music

The Daily Wire

The Matt Walsh Show

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-walks-off-the-view-set-during-clash-over-miranda-lambert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whoopi Goldberg</a> unleashed on country music star Jason Aldean, noting that critics have said that the lyrics to his new song are &#8220;racist&#8221; and arguing that Black Lives Matter rioters were only &#8220;taking care&#8221; of their towns when they looted and destroyed businesses.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-yalls-fault-whoopi-goldberg-blames-the-view-audience-for-hilarious-verbal-slip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldberg</a> made the comments during Thursday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The View&#8221; on ABC, following controversy over Aldean&#8217;s most recent release, &#8220;Try That in a Small Town.&#8221; She argued that Black Lives Matter rioters were no different than the small-town people depicted in Aldean&#8217;s music video defending their own.
WATCH:
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Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin claims the song promotes racist mobs chasing down black men. &quot;What I thought of when I read that was Ahmaud Arbery. I think of a black man in a small town in the south who literally got shot for doing nothing wrong.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/exQWD3aQFa">pic.twitter.com/exQWD3aQFa</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1682046025354051585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;He&#8217;s talking about people taking care of each other, and I find it so interesting that it never occurred to Jason or the writers that that&#8217;s what these folks were doing,&#8221; Goldberg asserted. &#8220;They were taking care of the people in their town because they didn&#8217;t like what they saw, just like you&#8217;re talking about people taking care of each other in small towns. We do the same thing in big towns.&#8221;
Goldberg again accused Aldean of making the song a commentary about Black Lives Matter — despite the fact that the group was not mentioned once in the song.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin followed Goldberg, noting that there were two sides to the issue and suggesting that while Aldean may not have meant the song to be taken the way some have taken it, the lyrics did remind her of white people chasing down black people in the streets.
Sunny Hostin weighed in a bit later, saying that she could not give Aldean the benefit of the doubt because she had visited Macon, GA — his hometown — and she believed it to be a &#8220;racist&#8221; town.
WATCH:
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Flaunting her insanity, Hostin claims the song is popular because America is a racist country. &quot;We have a problem in this country about race and the biggest problem is, we refuse to admit that it exists!&quot; she exclaimed. Joy says it&#39;s racist to compare small towns and big cities <a href="https://t.co/G0hsv0RwMZ">pic.twitter.com/G0hsv0RwMZ</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1682053090029993989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hostin explained that her father was also from Macon and Augusta, Georgia, and said that she had spent summers there as a child. &#8220;It is one of the most racist places in this country,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Don&#8217;t tell me that he knew nothing about what that imagery meant and what he – so I don&#8217;t give him the benefit of the doubt.&#8221;
She went on to say that when she heard the song, she thought of times and places when black people were not safe after sundown.
&#8220;We have a problem in this country about race and the biggest problem is, we refuse to admit that it exists!&#8221; she complained.
Joy Behar then argued that it was racist to suggest that small towns and big cities were different with regards to their values.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG

Whoopi Loses It Over Jason Aldean Song, Says BLM Rioters Were ‘Taking Care’ Of Their Towns

Whoopi Loses It Over Jason Aldean Song, Says BLM Rioters Were 'Taking Care' Of Their Towns

Media

The View

Whoopi Goldberg

Country music star Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany, an outspoken opponent of the woke agenda permeating much of American society, fired back at critics of her husband’s song &#8220;Try That in a Small Town,&#8221; who called the lyrics racist.
Aldean’s song, released in May, was targeted after he released a video for it on July 14 with critics calling it “racist” and “pro-lynching.” After the backlash, Country Music Television (CMT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> the video.
Aldean&#8217;s wife, Brittany, fired back at critics, publishing a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu3BIkltoLc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selfie</a> of her and her husband captioned, “Never apologize for speaking the truth.”
“Media … it’s the same song and dance,” she <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-small-town-backlash-country-singer-and-wife-brittany-fight-back-amid-controversies?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on her Instagram story. “Twist everything you can to fit your repulsive narrative. How about instead of creating stories, we focus on the REAL ones such as CHILD TRAFFICKING? Food for thought.”
Aldean also vigorously defended himself. &#8220;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,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;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 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.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7029">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“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,” he added. “My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that 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. But the desire for it to — that’s what this song is about.”
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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.…
&mdash; Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1681382697875144717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
In 2022, Brittany shared a video showing her applying makeup captioned, “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.”
Her husband reacted, “Lmao!! Im glad they didn’t too, cause you and I wouldn’t have worked out.”

58th Academy Of Country Music Awards – Arrivals

‘Twist Everything To Fit Your Repulsive Narrative’: Jason Aldean’s Wife Fires Back At Critics

Racism

Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump defended country music star Jason Aldean on Wednesday amid backlash against his latest hit song.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46-year-old</a> singer’s &#8220;Try That In A Small Town&#8221; song hit the airwaves in May, but it wasn’t until he released a video for it on July 14 that the song started generating headlines claiming it was “racist,” “pro-lynching,” and more. Following the backlash, Country Music Television (CMT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> the singer’s music video and has yet to explain why. Aldean has hit back against the criticism, calling it “meritless” and “dangerous.”
&#8220;When the media attacks you, you’re doing something right,&#8221; the Florida governor wrote on Twitter. &#8220;@Jason_Aldean has nothing to apologize for.&#8221;
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When the media attacks you, you’re doing something right. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jason_Aldean</a> has nothing to apologize for. <a href="https://t.co/oEhCFS4CGM">https://t.co/oEhCFS4CGM</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1681798647946571776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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About six hours later, the former president also released a short statement on social media, writing, &#8220;Jason Aldean is a fantastic guy who just came out with a great new song. Support Jason all the way. MAGA!!!&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/zxfrS56P5G">pic.twitter.com/zxfrS56P5G</a>
&mdash; Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMillerinDC/status/1681900045761691649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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After the song was pulled and Aldean’s response, the ballad ended up shooting to the top of the all-genre chart, knocking out current chart toppers like Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Luke Combs’ remake of the Tracy Chapman song “Fast Car.”
The song also jumped from the 11th spot to number one by Tuesday night on the iTunes Country Top 40 chart.
On Tuesday, the country star hit back at the criticism and released a lengthy statement on Twitter, slamming the idea the song is anything but a cry for Americans to come back together.
“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,” Aldean <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1681382697875144717">tweeted</a>. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
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&#8220;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,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As so 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 continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.&#8221;
&#8220;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,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;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 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. But the desire for it to — that’s what this song is about.&#8221;

CMA Fest 2023 – Day 3

DeSantis, Trump Respond To Attacks On Jason Aldean

Donald Trump

Politics

Ron DeSantis

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jason-aldean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean&#8217;s</a> new music video for his song &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try That In A Small Town,</a>&#8221; with anti-riot lyrics that slam leftist policies, has skyrocketed to the number one spot on the iTunes chart amid backlash against the singer.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46-year-old</a> country singer&#8217;s song hit the airwaves in May, but it wasn&#8217;t until he released a video for it on July 14 that the song started generating <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a44576067/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-lyrics-backlash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headlines</a> claiming it was &#8220;racist,&#8221; &#8220;pro-lynching,&#8221; and more. Following the backlash, Country Music Television (CMT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> the singer&#8217;s music video and has yet to respond as to why. Aldean has hit back against the criticism, calling it &#8220;meritless&#8221; and &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
After the song was pulled and Aldean&#8217;s response, the ballad ended up shooting to the <a href="https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2023/07/18/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-climbs-to-1-on-the-itunes-all-genre-chart-amid-controversy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top</a> of the all-genre chart, knocking out current chart toppers like Morgan Wallen&#8217;s &#8220;Last Night&#8221; and Luke Combs&#8217; remake of Tracy Chapmans&#8217; &#8220;Fast Car,&#8221; Whiskey Riff <a href="https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2023/07/18/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-climbs-to-1-on-the-itunes-all-genre-chart-amid-controversy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The song also jumped from the 11th spot to number one by Tuesday night on the iTunes Country Top 40 chart, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-video-pulled-cmt-1235373842/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billboard</a> noted.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b1_RKu-ESCY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
On Tuesday, the country star hit back at the criticism and released a <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean/status/1681382697875144717?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy statement</a> on Twitter, slamming the idea the song is anything but a cry for Americans to come back together.
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&#8220;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,&#8221; Aldean tweeted. &#8220;These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.&#8221;
&#8220;There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn&#8217;t a single video clip that isn&#8217;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,&#8221; he added.
The country star wrote that this song is about the &#8220;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.&#8221;
He concluded his post by noting how his &#8220;political views&#8221; are well known, but this song is about the &#8220;desire&#8221; to get back to some &#8220;sense of normalcy.&#8221;
At the time of this publication, the video is still playing on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a> and has been viewed 2.1 million times. Throughout the new music video, clips of news reports show looters and rioters during the 2020 riots that took place in Aldean&#8217;s native home of Georgia, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-catches-heat-racist-215436753.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo.com</a> noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean Responds To Backlash Over New Music Video That Slams Leftist Policies</a>

Jason Aldean Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour With Chase Rice, John Morgan And Dee Jay Silver – Nashville, TN

Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That In A Small Town’ Shoots To Number One Amid Backlash

Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/subject-to-felony-prosecution-gov-kristi-noem-warns-south-dakota-pharmacists-against-dispensing-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a> (R-SD) praised country music star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldean-responds-to-backlash-over-new-music-video-that-slams-leftist-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Aldean</a> for his new song, &#8220;Try That In a Small Town,&#8221; even going so far as to offer the governor&#8217;s mansion as a potential concert venue.
Noem explained that she had been a fan of the song since before it garnered controversy, and said that she had even hoped that the video for it would be shot in South Dakota — where she said the people shared the same values that Aldean had been singing about.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My thoughts on “Try that in a Small Town”…. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jason_Aldean</a> <a href="https://t.co/umJ8qFvy2o">pic.twitter.com/umJ8qFvy2o</a>
&mdash; Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1681656212499079172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I was thinking about something I posted on my social media on May 24th,&#8221; Noem began. &#8220;It was about a new song that had just been released that my friend Neil Thrasher helped write. &#8230; It was by Jason Aldean, and I was so impressed with the song because it talked about the value of small towns and how we have our priorities right.&#8221;
Noem went on to say that she had even said at the time that the video should be shot in South Dakota because she believed the people of her state embodied the values embraced in the song.
&#8220;I am shocked by what I&#8217;m seeing in this country,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;With people attempting to cancel this song, and cancel Jason and his beliefs — him and Brittany are outspoken about their love for law and order and for their love of this country, and I&#8217;m just grateful for them.&#8221;
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The South Dakota governor pointed out the fact that a number of those who have spoken out on topics like those had been persecuted for their beliefs — and concluded her statement with an offer for Aldean.
&#8220;I just want them to know that we support them, we love them, thank you for writing a song that America can get behind,&#8221; Noem said. &#8220;Keep singing, keep playing, and if you want to come to South Dakota, we&#8217;ll let you play anywhere, we&#8217;ll facilitate it. I know you&#8217;re coming in August, but if you want to come sing it on the governor&#8217;s residence front lawn, we&#8217;ll do it proudly.&#8221;
Country Music Television (CMT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cmt-yanks-jason-aldeans-anti-riot-music-video-from-airwaves-amid-claims-its-pro-lynching">removed</a> Aldean&#8217;s song from the channel after critics complained that the song condoned lynching.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Speaks At The Coolidge And American Project Conference

Kristi Noem Offers Jason Aldean A New Venue Amid CMT Cancellation

Kristi Noem

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