Jason Aldean’s track “Attempt That In A Small City” is No. 2 on the Billboard Scorching 100 this week – regardless of not rating on the chart in any respect since its Might launch. The track got here underneath widespread scrutiny earlier this month after Aldean launched the music video, which depicts protesters confronting law enforcement officials and was pulled from CMT.
“Attempt That In A Small City” is now one of the crucial standard songs, in accordance with the Billboard Scorching 100 chart, rating just below BTS member Jung Kook’s “Seven,” that includes Latto, which was launched on July 14.
The Aldean track can be No. 2 on the worldwide chart and No. 1 on the nation chart and Aldean is ranked No. 3 on the Scorching 100 Artists chart.
The track was launched on Might 22, making it one of many few songs that jumped the ranks on the Billboard charts weeks after it’s launched. Different songs which have defied these odds embrace Girl Gaga’s “A Million Causes,” which solely reached No. 52 when it was launched in 2016, however re-entered the listing at No. 4 after she carried out it throughout the Tremendous Bowl in 2017.
Some songs re-joined the Scorching 100 a long time after they had been launched – like Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Working Up That Hill,” which reached No. 3 after it was performed throughout a “Stranger Issues” episode in 2022.
Aldean’s hit defied the chances, regardless of widespread controversy. Whereas it’s now not in rotation on CMT – which is owned and operated by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of CBS Information’ mum or dad firm Paramount – the music video gained 17 million views on YouTube in simply 11 days after making headlines.
CMT instructed CBS Information that the video was “now not in rotation,” however didn’t make clear when the video first aired, how lengthy it was speculated to be in rotation or why it was finally taken down.
Within the nation track, Aldean sings: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face, stomp on the flag and lightweight it up, yeah, ya suppose you are robust. Effectively, attempt that in a small city. See how far ya make it down the street. Round right here, we deal with our personal. You cross that line, it will not take lengthy so that you can discover out. I like to recommend you do not.”
The video focuses on protests in opposition to police brutality and in addition reveals footage of violence at demonstrations and robberies. He additionally sings in entrance of the Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee, which was the positioning of a 1946 race riot in Columbia, in accordance with the Related Press. In 1927, a Black 18-year-old named Henry Choate was lynched there.
Aldean responded to the criticism in a tweet final week.
“Prior to now 24 hours I’ve been accused of releasing a pro-lynching track (a track that has been out since Might) and was topic to the comparability that I (direct quote) was not too happy with the nationwide BLM protests,” he wrote. “These references are usually not solely meritless, however harmful.”
Aldean defended the track – which seemingly dares individuals to attempt protesting in small American cities – saying not a single lyric “references race or factors to it.” He additionally stated all of the clips within the music video are from information footage.
Shannon Watts, the founding father of activist group Mothers Demand Motion, criticized the track’s message, saying it is about how Aldean “and his pals will shoot you if you happen to attempt to take their weapons.”
She and others identified that Aldean carried out throughout the Route 91 Harvest Pageant in Las Vegas in 2017, throughout which a gunman opened fireplace from a resort room overlooking the music pageant, killing 60 individuals.
Aldean addressed that in his tweet, saying: “As so many identified, I used to be current at Route 91-where so many misplaced their lives- and our neighborhood lately suffered one other heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, together with me, desires to proceed to see mindless headlines or households ripped aside.”
He stated for him, the track displays the kind of neighborhood he grew up in, one the place “we took care of our neighbors, no matter variations of background or perception.”
Li Cohen contributed to this report.
