Despite online backlash, country music star Jason Aldean has seen his recently released song “Try That In a Small Town” rise to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes charts.
The song also debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Tuesday, rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200, and No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Aldean is also ranked third on the Billboard Artist 100 this week.
The drama surrounding the song comes after the decision from Country Music Television to remove the recently-released music video for the song from its rotation.
The network didn’t explain its decision, but it followed outcry on social media accusing the song and its video of having a racist message.
“Jason Aldean shot this at the site where a white lynch mob strung Henry Choate up at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., after dragging his body through the streets with a car in 1927,” Mississippi Free Press editor Ashton Pittman tweeted Monday. “That’s where Aldean chose to sing about murdering people who don’t respect police.”
Pittman wasn’t the only person to criticize the song and music video, with more calling them insensitive, demanding it be removed from music platforms.
Aldean hasn’t remained silent amidst the efforts to “cancel” him, as the singer-songwriter took to social media to push back against the claims.
“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) 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,” Aldean tweeted on Tuesday.
He continued saying the words of the song have nothing to do with race in any way.
“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,” Aldean wrote.
The singer also addressed the lynching reference that Pittman and others made brought up, saying that “no one, including me,” wants to see “senseless headlines or families ripped apart” after referring to another recent tragedy in the area.
“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. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences,” Aldean said. “My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”
So far, the music video for Aldean’s song is still up on YouTube and has more than 1.4 million views since its release.
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