Country singer Jason Aldean released a new song this weekend that has disturbed many viewers with its casually violent rhetoric. “Try That in a Small Town” debuted on Friday complete with a new music video, and it is full of threats as well as some politically-charged references. Considering Aldean’s history with gun violence, people from all along the political spectrum have expressed shock at this song.
The lyrics to “Try That in a Small Town” establish some anti-crime, pro-police values in the first verse then apply them to the residents of an unnamed “small town.” The chorus then warns that such criminals would be punished by the community, with references to guns and even murder. The lyrics also reference conspiracy theories about gun law reform while the video shows footage from recent protest movements like Black Lives Matter. Listeners have perceived this as a callback to “sun-down towns,” and the song has been called a “modern lynching anthem” already.
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One element that makes this particularly shocking coming from Aldean is that he has experienced the terror of a mass shooting firsthand. Aldean was on stage when the 2017 Las Vegas shooting broke out – the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Aldean later posted his condolences to the victims on social media, but the experience clearly did not inspire him to advocate for new gun laws.
There are plenty of other elements upsetting listeners of Aldean’s new song. Here’s a look at some of the top responses on social media so far.
Activists
Many activists responded to Aldean’s song, including Moms Demand founder Shannon Watts. They saw little subtext in Aldean’s sparse lyrics.
Dog Whistles
Many commenters took Aldean’s lyrics one line at a time to dissect the references to race and politics for those that might have missed them. Several lines stood out as overtly racist and politicized in particular, including the term “good ole boys.”
Country Values
Many listeners pointed out that country music is not a monolith, and that Aldean’s politics didn’t represent the entire genre.
Co-signers
Some noted that Aldean wasn’t the only one responsible for this song – his bandmates, record producers and other professionals had clearly given their endorsement to the song throughout the recording and releasing process.
Hypocritical
Many people shared publicly-available details from Aldean’s personal life, calling him a hypocrite for lyrics that they think do not relate to his real experience.
Scandals
Users also brought up Aldean’s personal scandals including his infidelity to his wife. They mocked him for singing about “small town values” with so many mistakes in his past.
Not Exaggerating
Finally, while Aldean’s defenders tried to claim that critics were exaggerating the offense of lyrics, critics begged to differ. They pointed out how thinly-veiled references and “dog whistles” like this are laid out intentionally so that the singer will have plausible deniability. They urged listeners not to give Aldean the benefit of the doubt.
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