The Jason Aldean “Try That In A Small Town” saga continues…
Upon the release of the song in May, there wasn’t much controversy with the “pro-law,” “anti-crime,” and “pro-2nd-Amendment” ballad.
However, when the corresponding music video for “Try That In A Small Town” went public on July 14th, the visuals and footage paired with Aldean performing in front of a Tennessee courthouse have caused quite a stir.
Once the outrage began, Aldean and his wife both tried to get out in front of it, releasing statements about what the song’s message was intended to be. That post wasn’t enough for some of Aldean’s country music peers, with Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell openly calling Jason out for the song, which was was written by his longtime bandmates, not him.
Some high level celebrities and politicians have rushed to the side of the “Big Green Tractor” singer, with Florida Governor Ron Desantis and former President Donald Trump condemning those who have attacked Aldean for his “small town values” portrayed in the song.
Long story short, “Try That In A Small Town” was meant to bring people together in Aldean’s eyes, and it’s had very much the opposite effect. The country singer isn’t backing down from the outrage though, even giving a powerful statement right before he played the song in Cincinnati recently.
In a move that has gotten plenty of backlash (and appears to be spawning a “Bud Light” level boycott), CMT pulled the music video from their rotation. A large number of country fans, especially those who consider Aldean one of their favorites, have decided to not support CMT because of their decision.
Although, let’s be honest… does CMT even play music videos anymore?
Now, even businesses are starting to join in the “anti-CMT” movement, with Nashville’s E3 Chophouse saying that they will no longer be playing their channel on any of their in-restaurant televisions. The high end restaurant is owned by the families of Adam LaRoche (former MLB player), Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean.
The Nashville restaurant took to their social media to make the announcement, saying:
“We stand with Jason! E3 supports the small town because that is who we are!
We will not air CMT at any of our restaurants until a formal apology is made and Jason’s music video is reinstated.”
Not necessarily a shocking move considering that Jason Aldean is a part of the ownership, but certainly not looking good for CMT.
And the boycott seems to just be getting started…
