Much like the rest of the country, there seems to be a growing amount of division among country music fans, and even the artists themselves.
You have some who are more vocal than others about where their allegiances lie. I mean, it’s no secret which side of the aisle you can find artists like Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt, Jason Isbell, and Aaron Lewis on.
But I would say that overall, most artists still keep their political affiliations to themselves.
And as always we can debate the “shut up and sing” arguments against the obligation to “use your platform” arguments all we want, but let’s be honest… most people want the artist they disagree with to “shut up and sing” and the ones they agree with to “use their platforms.”
Back in 2016, even Jason Aldean himself refused to comment on his politics in an interview with Rolling Stone:
“I don’t know if I’m going to cross that road with you. That’s one subject I do stay away from. Politics is a no-win.”
However after the past election, it seems as though more and more country artists have made their political beliefs known.
Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany have been all over the news lately after her anti-Biden t-shirts created a firestorm in the comments section. And then when she put her kids in a “Hidin’ From Biden” shirt, the conversation got even more intense… and a lot more media attention.
And then yesterday, Jason addressed the situation, saying that he refuses to apologize for his beliefs:
“I will never apologize for my beliefs or my love for my family and country.
This is the greatest country in the world and I want to keep it that way.”
And John Rich is loving it.
John, a well-known conservative, “welcomed” Jason aboard (presumably to the list of country music Republicans), and in a reply to Newsmax host Sean Spicer, he added that freedom was more important than approval:
“No more stupid games. Freedom of speech/thought and declaration of Patriotism is more important than the approval of the liberal music industry.”
Here’s the photo that started it all:
And in case you didn’t realize, John actually wrote a number of Jason’s early hits.
On Jason’s debut, self-titled album, John was responsible for co-writing songs like “Hicktown” and “Amarillo Sky,” as well as “Johnny Cash,” the lead single from his 2007 album Relentless.
