UPDATE: 7/18 4:25 PM ET

Jason Aldean has broken his silence about his song “Try That in a Small Town” following backlash online.

“In the last 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that is out in May) and was the subject of comparisons that I was not too pleased with (direct quote) nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meaningless, but also dangerous. Tweeted on Tuesday, July 18. “There is not a single lyric in the song that references or alludes to caste – and there is not a single video clip that is not actual news footage – and while I can try and respect others Lyrics with music have their own interpretation – it goes a long way.”

In his statement, Aldean criticized critics for bringing up the mass shooting at his 2017 concert.

“As many have pointed out, I was present on Route 91 – where many people lost their lives – and our community recently faced another heartbreaking tragedy. I don’t want to continue to see families being torn apart,” he added. “‘Try That in a Small Town’, to me, refers to the feeling of a community I grew up in, where we were divided between backgrounds or beliefs. cared for our neighbors regardless of their differences. Because they were our neighbors and that was above any differences. My political views have never been one I hid from, and I know that many of us in this country People can’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we spend at least one day without a title we lay awake at night. But wanting it—that’s what this song is about.”

Original story below:

Jason Aldean Facing criticism for his song “Try That in a Small Town”, which contains a pro-gun message.

The track quickly raised eyebrows after its release on Friday, July 14, as fans read into the controversial lyrics.

Aldean, 46, sings, “Abuse at a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and burn it / Yeah, you think you’re tough.” “Well, try it in a small town / See how far you take it on the road / Here we take care of ourselves / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out For, I recommend that you do not do this.”

Aldean references gun control proposals, saying “I got a gun that my grandpa gave me / They say one day they’ll be caught / Well that gun can fly the city, good luck.”

Audiences have since appreciated Aldean’s songwriting on social media, especially in light of his experience with the mass shooting. In 2017, a gunman opened fire on a Las Vegas concert audience while Aldean was performing onstage, killing 58 people and injuring 546 others.

“Uvalde? Small town. VA Tech? Small college town. New City? Small New England town. Parkland? The small town that was recently voted the *safest* city in Florida. Most mass shootings happen in *small towns* @Jason_Aldean. Your listeners are dying,” one social media user tweeted on Monday, July 17.

Aldean, for his part, has not publicly addressed the response, but he shed light on the inspiration of the song on Friday. “When you grow up in a small town, it’s an unspoken rule that ‘we all support each other and we take care of each other,'” he tweeted. “It feels like that sense of community and respect got lost somewhere along the way. Deep down we are all ready to return to that. I hope my new music video helps you all know that you are not alone in feeling this way.

After the Vegas incident, Aldean confessed Today Show that he initially did not register what was happening in the crowd.

“We wear in-ear monitors when we’re on stage. And really you can just listen to the music and, you know, maybe your people on the side-stage or whatever can talk to you on microphones, he explained in November 2017. “So the first time it happened, I thought a speaker had blown. It just sounded like something screeching. And so, I’m looking around, ‘What’s that?’ [and] Trying to find out what it is. And then it stopped, so I figured, they must have fixed it, so I kept doing my job.

Aldean honored those affected by the shooting during a separate performance that same month.

“I know I don’t need to tell you guys this, but it’s been a tough few months for us here and it’s so fun to be back and play for the people who matter, which is you guys.” he told the audience at the time. “I’ve spent a lot and a long time trying to get ahead in this business and do something that I really enjoy. If anyone ever stops me from doing this, I will suffer a lot.

Aldean’s small-town anthem isn’t the first time it’s raised eyebrows. Jason expressed support for his wife in August 2022 Britney Aldean After making alleged transphobic comments.

“I would really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girlie life,'” Britney, 34, wrote via Instagram at the time.

In reply, maren morris called out Britney, referring to the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol building. “It’s that easy, like, not to be a badass person? Sell ​​your clip-ins and zip it up, Incursion Barbie,” she tweeted.

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Jason, for his part, lamented the drama by calling Britney “my Barbie” in an Instagram comment.