Last summer, Jason Aldean stirred controversy with the release of his music video for “Try That In A Small Town.”

The song, which highlighted urban lawlessness, gained little attention until the video depicted scenes of looting and rioting. People began expressing their opinions about the video, making it one of last year’s biggest country news stories.

Additionally, criticism arose as viewers noted the filming location at the Maury County Courthouse in Aldean’s hometown, known for a 1927 lynching incident.

During an interview on the Audacy podcast “Coop’s Rockin’ Country Saturday Night,” Aldean shared insights into why he supports the song and addressed what he perceives as people’s primary concern with it.

“If you’ve got common sense, you can look at the video and see, I’m not sayin’ anything that’s not true. In the video, I’m showin’ you what happened — I didn’t do it, I didn’t create it — it just happened, and I saw it, and I’m not cool with it,” Aldean said.

Aldean emphasized what he believed to be the biggest issue surrounding the song: the reference to a firearm in the lyrics.

“Got a gun that my granddad gave me /
They say one day they’re gonna round up /
Well, that sh*t might fly in the city, good luck /
Try that in a small town.”

Numerous celebrities have shared their thoughts on the video. While some strongly opposed it, others showed their support for Aldean.

Amid the controversy, Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” still hit #1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart.

Due to public backlash, CMT pulled Jason Aldean’s controversial “Try That in a Small Town” music video.

Representatives for the network declined to comment further on the ban at the time, simply stating that the video would no longer be aired.

Consequently, the reasons behind the removal of the video remain open to interpretation.

Nevertheless, the network is now extending a warm welcome back to the singer.

While Aldean was never officially “banned” from the network, they did pull his video. However, CMT has now revealed that Aldean will be taking the stage at the CMT Music Awards this upcoming Sunday.

Aldean hasn’t addressed the previous removal of his video, but it seems he harbors no ill feelings toward the network for their decision.

He’s slated to perform “Let Your Boys Be Country,” a nominee for Video of the Year.

The music video for the single includes scenes featuring Jason’s six-year-old son Memphis, as well as appearances from his wife Brittany and their daughter, Navy.

Watch the music video for “Let Your Boy Be Country” below, and stay tuned for Aldean’s CMT Music Awards performance!