Jason Aldean's record label says copyright issues led to removal of BLM protest imagery in 'Try That in a Small Town' video

Jason Aldean's record label said copyright issues led to the removal of Black Lives Matter protest imagery in the video for "Try That in a Small Town."

What are the details?

Citing a Washington Post story, Billboard reported that the controversial music video is now six seconds shorter than when the original version was released July 14 — and no longer contains a Fox 5 Atlanta clip showing violence during a 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration.

However, Aldean's record label — Broken Bow Records — said "third party copyright clearance issues" are the reason for the edits, the Tennessean reported — not only in regard to the BLM imagery but also in regard to the removal of a spoken-word segment featuring a wheelchair-bound elderly man toward the end of the original version.

Leftists have been losing their minds over the music video, which shows clips of rioting, robberies, and attacks against police. The song's lyrics challenge such lawless folks to attempt that behavior in a small town, where residents aren't as likely to take it without pushback:

Sucker-punch somebody on a sidewalk, carjack an old lady at a red light, pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store, ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like. 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 you 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."

Here's the video. Content warning: language:

Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town (Official Music Video)youtu.be

A Variety music critic penned a hit piece titled "Jason Aldean Already Had the Most Contemptible Country Song of the Decade. The Video Is Worse." Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow called the song "lame." Democrat Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones tweeted to his colleagues that "as Tennessee lawmakers, we have an obligation to condemn Jason Aldean’s heinous song calling for racist violence. What a shameful vision of gun extremism and vigilantism."

Country Music Television pulled the video July 17, just days after the station began airing it — and then the song rocketed to the top of the iTunes charts that same week. The video's view count on YouTube is 20 million as of Thursday afternoon after only 13 days on the platform.

Aldean garnered support from the likes of Travis Tritt, Pat Boone, "God Bless the USA" songwriter Lee Greenwood, and black comedian David Lucas, who's from the same town as Aldean and said it's a "very patriotic song."

In addition, Aldean, during a Friday concert, addressed the controversy surrounding "Try That in a Small Town," telling the crowd he believes "everybody's entitled to their opinion" and that cancel culture is "bulls**t."

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