Jason Aldean to perform at Credit One Stadium following ‘Try That in a Small Town’ controversy

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Country music artist Jason Aldean will play in Charleston Friday after his recent music video for ‘Try That in a Small Town’ swept headlines.

Aldean’s single ‘Try That in a Small Town’ debuted on Billboards Hot 100 at No. 2 following controversy after the release of its music video.

The video for the song lasted just one weekend on Country Music Television before the network pulled it in response to an outcry over its setting and lyrics.

In the visual, Aldean performs in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. It is the site of the 1946 Columbia race riot and the 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old Black teenager named Henry Choate.

During the video, images from protests, criminal acts, and demonstrations that took place during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 are projected onto the courthouse.

Aldean’s video received fervent criticism online.

“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far,” Aldean wrote on Twitter.

Aldean has continued on his Highway Desperado Tour across North America.

On Friday, Aldean will headline at Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island.

For those wondering if he would play the song live, he said, “The answer is simple. The people have spoken and you guys spoke very, very loudly,” he said, before launching into the song.

Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this article