Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Music Video Quietly Edited Amid Uproar

As the controversy unfolds surrounding Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” the music video for the song has been edited to remove featured clips from Black Lives Matter protests.

When the music video was released in mid-July, it was six seconds longer than the three-minute, two-second version that can be found on YouTube now. The reason for that is that the video no longer contains Fox 5 Atlanta news clips showing a confrontation between police and Black Lives Matter demonstrators during the 2020 civil rights protests over the death of George Floyd.

The Washington Post reported, “Portions of that clip appeared twice in the original music video, at one point projected onto the exterior wall of a Tennessee county courthouse where a Black teen was lynched in the 1920s, which Aldean used as a backdrop as he sang about crimes that would not be tolerated in a small town.” The Post also said they received a statement from BBR Music Group, Aldean’s record label, which said the footage was removed “due to third party copyright clearance issues.”

The song and music video have been magnets for controversy in recent days, not only because of the history behind the courthouse, but also critics arguing that they hold racially-charged, pro-gun messages. Aldean has repeatedly pushed back on the accusations, saying the song speaks to how small towns wouldn’t tolerate the violence and lawlessness America’s cities have seen in recent years.

The notoriety surrounding “Try That in a Small Town” appears to have boosted its popularity, seeing as it is Number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list.

Watch above.

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