Jason Aldean’s music video for his controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” appears to have been quietly edited to remove a portion related to Black Lives Matter.
On 14 July, the country singer dropped the accompanying video for his hit song, initially released in May. The video – which shows Aldean performing in front of a courthouse with an American flag hanging from the entrance and images of protestors fighting with police officers – has since ignited furore among listeners, who accused it of “promoting violence”.
However, it now appears the video has been shortened by six seconds and no longer includes a portion of footage taken from a Fox 5 Atlanta news broadcast, which showed violent interactions at the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
In the original uploaded music video, clips from the news broadcast were featured twice. During one scene, the footage was projected onto the wall of a Tennessee courthouse.
It is unclear when the clip was removed, but the music video itself has reportedly undergone several edits since it sparked criticism.
The Independent has contacted Aldean’s representative and Fox 5 Atlanta for comment.
Since its release, the music video has garnered over 19 million views on YouTube, while the song has soared to the top of US charts. It was pulled from rotation on Country Music Television on 18 July, though the American broadcaster has not provided a reason for its decision.
Jason Aldean attends the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas.— (Getty Images)
Critics have called the song “racist” and a “lynching anthem” after learning that the music video was filmed outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where 18-year-old Black teenager Henry Choate was lynched in 1927. The location was also the site of the Columbia race riot in 1946.
The track has also been criticised for its allusion to gun ownership and use. Aldean, 46, was a performer at Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas in 2017, where a shooter killed 60 people and injured 400. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in American history.
Aldean has since responded to the criticism in a post on Twitter.
“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,” his message began.
“These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. 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.”
“‘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 neighbours, regardless of differences of background or belief.”
