Cody Johnson has seemingly taken a side when it comes to Jason Aldean's recent controversy surrounding his song, "Try That in a Small Town." Johnson performed in St. Louis on Friday night (July 21), and in a video shared by Dear America podcast host Graham Allen, Johnson makes his opinions known about the situation.
"We live in a time where everyone gets pissed off at Jason Aldean for putting out a song," Johnson told the crowd before addressing Aldean himself. "If you're videoing this, and Jason Aldean if you're seeing this video, you keep it up, brother. You do you, boo boo."
Johnson continued, putting himself in the same category as Aldean for releasing "patriotic" tracks.
"If being patriotic makes you an outlaw, then by God, I'll be an outlaw," he said, before launching into his next song.
Cody Johnson threw his support behind Jason Aldean the other night!!!
“If being patriotic makes me an outlaw, then by God, I'll be an outlaw.” pic.twitter.com/5avT4uAvcn
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) July 22, 2023
Aldean shared a similar statement that same night at a show in Cincinnati, saying that naysayers have a right to their opinion. He also declared his dedication to the U.S.
"What I am is a proud American [and] I'm proud to be from here," he shared with the crowd at Riverbend Music Center. "I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bulls—t started happening to us. I love my country, I love my family and I will do anything to protect that, I can tell you that right now."
Other artists who have supported Aldean amidst the dust up include Travis Tritt, John Rich and Lee Greenwood. Aldean's labelmate Blanco Brown also addressed the issue, saying he doesn't believe Aldean is "racist," but the song and its visuals "don't align with positivity."
People who took issue with the song cited pro-violence and possibly racially charged lyrics. Some country listeners also decried the song's music video, which was filmed in front of the Maury County Courthouse, a location with a sordid racial history involving the 1927 lynching of a Black man.
In a statement, Aldean denied claims that the song was inspired by race. Tacklebox, the production company behind the video, also said Aldean did not pick the location for the clip.
