Joe Rogan is the latest commentator to offer his opinion on the controversy surrounding country singer Jason Aldean’s latest single, “Try That In A Small Town.”
The song, released in May, addresses rioting, looting, and takes a firm stance against gun control, while its accompanying video features footage of riots and looting from various parts of the world, with Aldean performing in front of a courthouse in Tennessee.
Critics online have accused the outspoken country star of incorporating racist lyrics and imagery in both the song and the video, leading CMT to remove the video from their rotation. Additionally, some have expressed concern about a pro-gun anthem coming from the headliner of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where a tragic massacre occurred in Las Vegas back in 2017.
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.…
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
The reactions to this controversy have been varied, with musicians like Sheryl Crow criticizing the song, while country stars like Cody Johnson, Travis Tritt, and Brantley Gilbert have come out in support of Aldean.
Even politicians, including former President Donald Trump and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, have shown their support for the country singer.
Here’s What Joe Rogan Says About Jason Aldean
In the midst of this heated debate, Joe Rogan weighed in on the matter during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Speaking with Gad Saad, an author and professor at Columbia University, Rogan expressed his confusion over the level of outrage the song has generated. He pointed out that there are numerous rap songs out there with far more objectionable content, yet they don’t seem to attract the same amount of criticism.
“I’m not saying that that’s the greatest song the world’s ever known, but the level of outrage coming from people who are upset about that song is so strange when there are hundreds of rap songs out there that are infinitely worst. And also enjoyable,” Joe Rogan said on the podcast. “No complaints at all. And we’re not even talking about old stuff. There’s new stuff too. There’s hip-hop, there’s wild rock songs, there’s a lot of wild sh*t. And to be focusing on that one?”
Moreover, Rogan questioned the accusations of racial elements in the song, highlighting that many of the individuals involved in the 2020 riots and looting were white, not people of color. To him, this suggests that the song’s lyrics are not inherently racial.
Despite the uproar, the controversy seems to have had little impact on Jason Aldean’s success.
“Try That In A Small Town” shot to the top spot on the iTunes all-genre chart, and his other albums also experienced a boost, claiming five of the top ten spots on the iTunes country charts.
Notably, the song has become one of the best-selling country songs of the year and recently secured the #2 position on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, while reigning at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart.
In a surprising turn of events, the song’s sales skyrocketed, reaching 228,000 units sold in just one week, compared to a mere 1,000 units per day before the controversy. Additionally, the song’s streams increased exponentially, growing from 987,000 to an astonishing 11.7 million in the past week alone – a staggering 999% increase. Based on sales data from the past week, it’s positioned to become the fourth-highest selling song of 2023.
Amidst the uproar surrounding the music video for “Try That In A Small Town,” some changes have been noted. After garnering an impressive 19 million views on YouTube, the video appears to have been subtly edited to remove footage related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement from Aldean’s home state of Georgia.
While Aldean has denied any racial connotations in the video, stating that the clips used are from genuine news footage, questions remain about the reasons behind the edit. Speculation has arisen that the news footage showing rioting and looting in Georgia may have been removed at the request of Fox 5 Atlanta, the source of the clip.
As the debate continues to unfold, one thing is clear: Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” has ignited an intense and polarizing discussion. Fans of both Aldean and Joe Rogan eagerly await further developments in this captivating musical saga.
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