

Political commentators on the right have have held up the country music canon, and Aldean in particular, as a loudspeaker for under-appreciated conservative values.Ģ024 GOP primary contenders like Trump, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. But others, like Travis Tritt and Blanco Brown described the reaction as unfair social commentary. Sheryl Crow and Margo Price are among the musicians who've spoke out against the song. Justin Jones, a Democrat, summed it as a "heinous song calling for racist violence." Others said the song's hints at violence were clearly racial dog whistles, zeroing in on the song's portrayal of protests like flag-burning.

The Record Is Country Music's Relationship With The NRA Shifting? "NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart," he wrote.

"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." "There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it," he wrote on Twitter. On Tuesday, Aldean pushed back hard against accusations he was "pro-lynching," saying such an interpretation "goes too far" and is "dangerous." The landmark was the site of race riots in 1946 as well as a 1927 lynching in which a white mob pulled an 18-year-old black man, Henry Choate, from jail and dragged him through the city by car, according to several media reports, including one detailed account from The Washington Post.Ĭhoate had allegedly confessed to attacking a 16-year-old white girl "to protect his life," even though the girl "could not positively identify him as the assailant," the Post reported. Politics When Republicans Attack 'Cancel Culture,' What Does It Mean?īut much of the criticism around the video has less to do with these clips than its setting: The Maury County Courthouse building in Columbia, Tenn., which serves as an American-flag-draped backdrop for Aldean and his band.
