Jason Aldean Defends Controversial Song “Try That in a Small Town” During a Concert and Decries “Cancel Culture”

Jason Aldean defended his controversial song “Try That in a Small Town” during a gig over the weekend in Cincinnati.

Aldean’s song has been criticized for promoting gun violence and taking aim at the Black Lives Matter movement. The video, which was released just over a week ago, has since been pulled by CMT.

On Friday night at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center, the country singer defended his song and lyrics.

“I gotta tell you guys, man, it’s been a long-ass week,” he told the crowd, according to a video posted online. “It’s been a long week, and I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that. Here’s the thing, here’s one thing I feel. I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to — doesn’t mean it’s true, right?”

Aldean went on to note his pride in his country.

“What I am is a proud American,” he said. “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 bullshit started happening to us. I love our country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that. I’ll tell you that right now.”

Aldean received cheers from the audience as well as chants of “U.S.A.” In his remarks, he went on to decry “cancel culture,” according to the Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch.

“Cancel culture is a thing … which means try and ruin your life, ruin everything,” he was quoted as saying. “One thing I saw this week was a bunch of country music fans that could see through a lot of the bullshit, all right? I saw country music fans rally like I’ve never seen before and it was pretty badass to watch, I gotta say.”

Aldean added that he had been asked if he would play the song that night.

“The answer is simple,” he said. “The people have spoken and you guys spoke very, very loudly.”

Aldean then did play the song.

The music video features the burning of the American flag, protests, looting and more, with Aldean performing in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which is where Henry Choate, and 18-year-old Black man, was lynched in 1927 after he was accused of attacking a white woman.

The song’s lyrics include: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road.” Aldean later sings on the song, “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck.”

Aldean denied the allegations against his song in a tweet.

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song … 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,” he wrote. “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.”