Sheryl Crow has hit out at Jason Aldean and his tune 'Try That In A Small Town', after it was accused of being a "pro-lynching" song.
The video, filmed at the historic Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, drew attention due to its connection to the lynching of Black teenager Henry Choate in 1927. Many found the song's content offensive, but Aldean denied any harmful intent, per BBC News.
In the video, Aldean stands before the courthouse, with an American flag projected behind him, singing about behaviors he believes are associated with large cities and frowned upon in small-town America.
The lyrics mention actions like "car-jacking an old lady", pulling "out a gun on the owner of a liquor store" and "cussing out a cop", all of which supposedly would not happen in small towns.
State Representative of Tennessee, Justin Jones, condemned the song as a 'heinous song for racist violence.' The music video, posted on YouTube, received over eight million views and contained imagery from Black Lives Matter protests, depicting protests, riots, and confrontations between police and the public.
One line from the song states: "Try that in a small town full of good ol’ boys, raised up right if you’re looking for a fight," while displaying pictures of BLM protests, it's evident where the controversy stems from.
Sheryl Crow, who hails from a small town herself, took to Twitter to criticize the song, quoting some of its lyrics and addressing Aldean directly.
"I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence," she wrote, tagging Aldean into the conversation. "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."
In response to the mounting backlash, Aldean released a statement defending the song. "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.
He added: "These references are not only meritless, but dangerous."
Aldean explained that the song was intended to reflect "the feeling of a community that I had growing up" and argued that it contained no references to race. He also highlighted that the video clips were authentic news footage.
Aldean went on: "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."
The controversy surrounding 'Try That In A Small Town' has sparked a broader conversation about the responsibility of artists in addressing sensitive topics and the impact of their work on society.