Jason Aldean, who plays at Blossom Thursday, speaks out on controversial 'Small Town' video

Before a scheduled Blossom Music Center concert on Thursday, Jason Aldean's perceived political and social beliefs have again landed him in a controversial media moment.

On July 14, the 27-time country music chart-topper posted a video to social media promoting his May-released single "Try That In A Small Town," to build anticipation for a forthcoming album release.

Aldean is scheduled to bring his Highway Desperado Tour with Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver to Blossom at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Jason Aldean: CMT removes 'Try That In A Small Town' video from rotation

In the statement associated with the release, he noted, "when u grow up in a small town, it's that unspoken rule of 'we all have each other's backs and we look out for each other.' It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down, we are all ready to get back to that. I hope my new music video helps y'all know that u are not alone in feeling that way. Go check it out!"

Swiftly, online critics highlighted the following song lyrics as emblematic of songs heightening pro-gun violence and lynching sentiments upon many in his rural, small-town fanbase:

"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 / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won't take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don't / Try that in a small town."

Moreover, many viewers noted that scenes in the video were shot at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee's, where an African-American man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927. The site is also where the infamous Columbia Race Riot occurred in 1946.

TackleBox, the production company for Aldean's video, said the location is a popular filming location outside of Nashville and cited several music videos and films that have been filmed there. They include the Lifetime Original movie “Steppin’ into the Holiday” with Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer, a music video from Runaway June “We Were Rich” a Paramount holiday film “A Nashville Country Christmas” with Tanya Tucker -- as well the Hannah Montana film. The company said Aldean did not pick the location.

In the past, the 46-year-old Macon, Georgia native has been no stranger to other controversies and tragedies with direct or implied relationships to his new song.

He has previously addressed concerns regarding wearing blackface for a 2015 Halloween costume. Then, on October 1, 2017, he played onstage at the Route 91 Harvest Festival near the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino when gunman Stephen Paddock killed 60 people and wounded 800 during an 11-minute hail of bullets.

Moreover, his conservative political beliefs were discussed upon visiting former United States President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago golf course and resort in Palm Springs, Florida, in 2020 and being embroiled in a dispute regarding the belief that his wife made transphobic remarks and social media posts in 2022 (which led to his publicity firm of 17 years, Nashville-based the GreenRoom to stop working with him).

Regarding the controversy surrounding his May-released single and subsequent social media posts, Aldean posted this statement on his Twitter page at 2:17 p.m. CT.

"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 BLM protests. These references are not only meritless but dangerous. 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."

"As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91 -- where so many lost their lives -- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart."

"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. 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."

Related, in a November 2021 Audacy interview, Aldean stated, "At some point, it's gotten to where if you're a conservative and you're in this business, you're not allowed to speak," he noted. "It's hard to go lay my head down at night with a clear conscience, feeling like I'm a coward for not saying the things that I want to say, or I feel like need to be said."

Along similar lines, he added to The Tennessean in a March 2022 feature, "I still think people would rather hear my songs than care too much about my political views."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jason Aldean defends 'Try That In A Small Town' before Blossom show