Less than a year after CMT pulled Jason Aldean's music video for “Try That in a Small Town” from its rotation, the country singer made a notable appearance at the CMT Music Awards. Aldean performed his song “Let Your Boys Be Country” at the live ceremony held at the Moody Center in Austin, with his performance taking place on an outdoor stage at the University of Texas at Austin.
In May 2023, Aldean released “Try That in a Small Town” along with a music video in July. The track faced criticism for its perceived promotion of gun violence and its controversial lyrics that seemed to target the Black Lives Matter movement. Some of the contentious lyrics included references to disrespecting law enforcement and desecrating the American flag.
The music video accompanying the song featured imagery of the American flag burning, protests, and looting. In response to the backlash, CMT decided to remove the video from its rotation. Aldean defended his work, denying the allegations of promoting violence or racism in his music.
Aldean's social media post addressed the accusations, emphasizing that the song did not contain any racial references and that the video footage used was authentic news clips. However, the video was later edited to remove scenes related to the Black Lives Matter protests due to copyright issues.
During the performance at the CMT Music Awards, Aldean unknowingly played in front of a Tennessee courthouse with a history of a Black man being lynched. The singer expressed his lack of awareness regarding the location's significance.
The controversy surrounding Aldean's music video and lyrics sparked debates about artistic expression, social responsibility, and the impact of music on societal issues. Despite the criticism, Aldean continued to defend his creative choices and maintained that his work was being misinterpreted.
As the CMT Awards aired live, featuring performances by various artists and a special tribute to the late Toby Keith, the event highlighted the diversity of country music and the ongoing discussions about the intersection of art, politics, and culture.
