Country music superstar Jason Aldean has attempted to clarify the meaning behind the music video for his song, "Try That In A Small Town."
The music video shows various scenes of protesters clashing with police after the death of George Floyd in 2020, people watching as an American flag is burned and incidents of crimes taking place.
Aldean sings, "It won't take long for you to find out" what will happen if you "try that in a small town."
Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones, who was briefly expelled after participating in a gun control protest, called the song racist.
"As Tennessee lawmakers, we have an obligation to condemn Jason Aldean’s heinous song calling for racist violence," Jones said on Twitter. "What a shameful vision of gun extremism and vigilantism."
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In a post on social media, Aldean defended the song, noting that none of the lyrics are about about race.
"These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he stated.
Aldean goes on to say that "Try that In A Small Town," 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."
Despite the sentiment, the music video, which has more than 1 million views on YouTube, has been pulled from Country Music Television, according to Billboard.
Grammy Award-winning artist Sheryl Crow joined others online in slamming the song, noting that she grew up in a small town.
"There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence," she said.
Aldean noted that he isn't shy about making his political beliefs known. He is known to ring in the New Year with former President Donald Trump.
Numerous Republicans, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, have expressed their support for Aldean and his song.
"Cancel culture is the enemy of freedom of expression. I stand with @Jason_Aldean," Blackburn wrote on Twitter.
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