Black Lives Matter protest footage reportedly removed from controversial Jason Aldean music video
Jason Aldean's controversial "Try That in a Small Town" music video seems to have been edited to remove footage from a Black Lives Matter protests, reports The Washington Post.
The video, which was released on July 14, is now six seconds shorter and reportedly no longer contains a Fox 5 Atlanta clip that featured violent confrontations that occurred during the 2020 protests, according to the outlet. Other protest footage still appears in the video.
Aldean's representatives did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
Aldean's video has sparked heavy backlash since its release, with critics accusing it of promoting racism and gun violence. Alongside the video, the song's lyrics state: "Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they're gonna round up / Well, that s--- might fly in the city, good luck."
Despite the fallout, which included the video being pulled from CMT, "Try That in a Small Town" has become Aldean's biggest hit to date. At a recent concert, the musician blamed the uproar surrounding the song on "cancel culture."
"It's been a long week, and I've seen a lot of stuff. I've seen a lot of stuff suggesting I'm this, suggesting I'm that," Aldean said. "Here's the thing, here's one thing I feel: I feel like everybody's entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to. It doesn't mean it's true, right?"
The "She's Country" singer previously denounced what he called "meritless" and "dangerous" claims about the video on social media.
"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 [Black Lives Matter] protests," he wrote, noting that the single doesn't contain a "single lyric" that references race but does feature "real news footage."
Aldean continued, "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 neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences."
The singer added, "My political views have never been something I've hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this country don't agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to — that's what this song is about."
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