Jason Aldean's Long History Of Political Controversies Explained
Country music star Jason Aldean is no stranger to political controversy and the latest incident has fans and critics outraged. Aldean released the music video for his single, "Try That In A Small Town," in July, but it was subsequently yanked from television as it showed clips of people protesting and rioting in the streets, some of which were clearly from the Black Lives Matter movement, according to The Washington Post. And, in the song, Aldean sings, "Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you're tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road."
While these lyrics seem to encourage inflicting harm on protesters, Aldean was quick to address the backlash with a statement on Twitter. "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," he wrote. "Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences."
But this isn't the only reason Aldean's release triggered an uproar.
Jason Aldean's music video accused of pro-lynching messaging
On July 14, Jason Aldean released the music video for his song "Try That In A Small Town," which initially dropped in May. After the video was released, an array of critics and his industry peers slammed Aldean for the song's violent messaging, as it seemingly villainizes social and racial justice protests. He was also called out for featuring lyrics that supposedly encourage gun violence against protesters. "Got a gun that my granddad gave me, they say one day they're gonna round up, well, that s**t might fly in the city, good luck, try that in a small town," Aldean sings. Critics also accused the "Got What I Got" singer of making a pro-lynching video because of its Maury County Courthouse backdrop.
According to NBC News, the Columbia, Tennessee-based building was where Henry Choate, a Black 18-year-old, was publicly lynched by a white mob in 1927. It was also the site of the Columbia Race Riot of 1947. "I'm from a small town... There is nothing small-town or American about promoting violence," fellow singer Sheryl Crow tweeted in regard to the video. In response to the backlash, Aldean released a statement denying the aforementioned accusations. "These references are not only meritless but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it – there isn't a single clip that isn't real news footage," he wrote on Twitter.
Jason Aldean proudly supported Donald Trump
In recent years, Jason Aldean has been more vocal about publicly supporting former president Donald Trump. In July 2021, when the chant, "F**k Joe Biden" erupted at Aldean's concert, the "Dirt Road Anthem" singer seemed to agree with the crowd, according to Whiskey Riff. The musician simply replied to the chants by saying, "You said it," which seemed to confirm his dislike for President Biden and support for former President Trump.
Among his many controversies, Trump has been indicted for business fraud and used derogatory language toward people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and women. So, when Aldean seemed to publicly support the former president, he received a lot of backlash for doing so. However, the country music singer didn't seem to care. In December 2021, Aldean and his wife Brittany posed alongside Trump as he praised the former president. He wrote on Instagram, "Well, this New Years was the best of all time. I got to spend a couple days with the G.O.A.T...... this man is unbelievable and I wish u all could see what he does behind the scenes. #classact."
According to Rolling Stone, Aldean even shared a post following the results of the 2020 election suggesting there was voter fraud. Clearly, the musician believed the conspiracy theories surrounding the election and was all in on Trump, which many people did not like.
Jason Aldean dropped by publicist amid insensitive comments
Jason Aldean got in some trouble after he and wife Brittany Aldean made insensitive comments online. In August 2022, Brittany shared a before and after reel of her getting ready on Instagram. However, it was Brittany's caption that upset many, per E! News. She wrote, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life." People quickly called out Brittany for her insensitive comments and they weren't just mad at her. Jason also commented, "Lmao!! I'm glad they didn't too, cause you and I wouldn't have worked out." The couple faced immense backlash for their posts as people felt the two were being "transphobic."
The backlash got so bad that it actually resulted in some repercussions for the couple. According to Billboard, The GreenRoom, a famous publicity firm, dropped Jason from their list of clients. The company's co-owner, Tyne Parrish, shared, "Music has always been and remains The GreenRoom's core focus, so we had to make the difficult decision after 17 years to step away from representing Jason. We aren't the best people for the gig anymore, but will always be big fans of his music..." Although the company didn't specifically mention Jason and Brittany's comments, its decision came forth just over a week after the couple's Instagram post.
Jason Aldean wore blackface for Halloween in 2015
In addition to his political affiliations, questionable music videos and supporting insensitive talking points, Jason Aldean has been called out for wearing blackface in the past. Back in 2015, a photo of the "Burnin' It All Down" singer wearing a "Lil Wayne costume" went viral, per The Guardian. In the picture, Aldean can be seen wearing a dreadlock wig and sunglasses with dark brown makeup on his face. Despite the offensive photo generating tons of backlash, the "If I Didn't Love You" singer doubled down on his costume and intentions in a 2016 interview with Billboard. "In this day and age, people are so sensitive that no matter what you do, somebody is going to make a big deal out of it. Me doing that had zero malicious intent," he told the publication. "I get that race is a touchy subject but not everybody is that way."
Aldean also accused the media of making a "big deal out of things" before he offered up an apology. "If that was disrespectful to anyone, I, by all means, apologize. That was never my intention. It never crossed my mind," he said. Due to the recent controversy regarding his "Try That In A Small Town" music video, his history with blackface has become a popular talking point on Twitter once again. "Just popping on here to say Jason Aldean is a clown. What else do y'all expect from a man who wore blackface in 2015?" country singer Margo Price tweeted on July 19.
Jason Aldean's conservative COVID-19 viewpoints also caused controversy
Since the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jason Aldean has made numerous headlines for his conservative viewpoints. In 2020, the "Big Green Tractor" singer was slammed by his Instagram followers after he posted photos of him and his family maskless at Disney World. According to Taste of Country, Aldean responded to one person's critique: "Chill out lady. They are in our pockets. We took them off for 5 seconds to take the pic." The aforementioned incident wasn't the last time Aldean was at the center of the mask debate. During his 2021 "Back in the Saddle" Tour, the country singer caused a stir when he praised the crowd for not wearing masks.
"But you know the coolest thing about all this, the coolest thing to me right now is that I'm looking out, seeing all you guys, and I don't see one f***ing mask," he told the audience, per Country Now. "I've had just about enough of that s**t." At the time of his statement, the Delta variant of COVID-19 was running rampant in the US, resulting in more than 100,000 hospitalizations, per CNN.
Aldean then turned heads once more in October 2021 after he slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for introducing a new vaccine mandate for children attending school. "So let me get this straight! It is no longer our decision as parents (or free Americans) to make decisions about our kids," he wrote on Instagram. "This is not how America and being free works."