The recent release of Jason Aldean’s divisive new single has stirred heated controversy, and Sheryl Crow hasn’t been shy in sharing her opinion on the matter.
The 61-year-old Missourian weighed in on the discussion around Aldean’s provocative new single “Try That in a Small Town,” expressing her dissatisfaction and worry that the singer was spreading misinformation with the song.
Here are a few lines from the song’s lyrics: “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s**t might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”
Crow, who is originally from a small town, pointed out that everyone is sick of the violence in a tweet intended at the country musician.
“@Jason_Aldean I grew up in a rather modest community. The public is weary of violence everywhere, even in tiny communities.
Promoting violence is neither rural nor American. Having been through a major massacre, you should know that better than anybody,” she tweeted.This doesn’t feel rural or rural American. Just plain stupid.
She said that the song’s advocacy of violence is neither in keeping with American ideals or typical of life in a small community.
Crow said that Aldean should be especially sensitive to this topic since he was a survivor of the 2017 Las Vegas concert disaster, in which 58 people were killed and more than 400 were wounded.
Quick criticism led to the removal of Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ music video from CMT’s rotation, in which he performs in front of a courthouse associated with lynchings in the past.
The visual aspects, which included video from numerous events, particularly those associated to the Black Lives Matter movement, also sparked controversy because of accusations that the song’s lyrics condoned acts of violence.
In a long Twitter thread, Aldean responded to the allegations against him, denying any connection to pro-lynching attitudes or hostility towards national BLM marches.
It’s been a rough 24 hours for me. I’ve been accused of publishing a pro-lynching song (a song that’s been out since May).
And compared to someone who “wasn’t too pleased” with the countrywide BLM rallies. “These references are not only unwarranted, but potentially harmful,” he said.
While I can attempt to accept others’ right to their own interpretation of a song with music, it continued.
There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it, and there is not a single video clip that isn’t real news footage.”
The ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ singer said, “‘Try That In A Small Town’ speaks to the sense of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbours despite of differences in background or religion. For the simple reason that they were our neighbours, and that trumped everythi
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