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An activist and writer has issued a brutal takedown of Jason Aldean amid the controversy surrounding his new song, "Try That in a Small Town".
The country music singer, 46, released the divisive tune and its music video this week, which some people have called racist and an incitement to violence.
Detractors said the song had "very scary lyrics," while others added some of the video was filmed on the steps of a Tennessee courthouse where a mob lynched a Black man in 1927.
Aldean sings about the good things of small-town life. It includes lyrics such as, if somebody "cross[es] that line," to "cuss out a cop, spit in his face" or "stomp on the flag and light it up," to "try that in a small town."
Other lyrics include: "Now it's true that I am ignorant on most of this, a couple folks for some reason called me a bigot," and, "Better never, ever let the sun go down... or the guns come out."
Aldean has denied his song is problematic. He wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that "there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage, and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music, this one goes too far."
But activist and TikTok star Destinee Stark dissected Aldean's words in a eight-minute video on the social-media platform.
Stark found that Aldean's comments about using real news footage to prove his point about the lack of safety in big cities was not entirely true. Some of his song's video was constructed from stock footage shot in countries such as Germany and Bulgaria.
"I'm here to tell you that is complete bull****," Stark said in the TikTok video that has been viewed 1.4 million people.
"In fact, he uses multiple clips in the first 30 seconds of the video that are either fake, or didn't even happen in America."
@destineenstark I may be petty, but my THOROUGH and petty! ? Here is my dissertation debunking Jason Aldean’s claims about his ?? propaganda. #jasonaldean #countrymusic #debunked #debunktok #factsoverfeelings #propganda #americanpropaganda
♬ original sound - Destinee Stark
Stark gives one example of a clip of a person giving the middle finger to some riot police on the street. The influencer added that the officers' helmets did not seem from the U.S.
"I've never seen American police wear a helmet with the duck tail thing on the back," Stark said, before citing other examples of other things in the music video that did not seem American.
Stark added that the clip was "actually video from stock video footage that is for sale on stock sites," including Shuttershock.
Another clip from Aldean's video showed someone throwing a Molotov cocktail and was also stock footage, "but that's not all... it's from a controlled commercial video shoot for the sole purpose of stock footage." Stark said that the clip was also not American, but from Bulgaria.
Newsweek contacted Aldean's representatives by email for comment about Stark's claims. We also emailed Stark for comment about the research and findings.
Stark also found that a third example of footage that Aldean said came from within the U.S. but it was another stock video available for purchase.
"His cult followers can keep coming to my account, giving me engagement and hate, and I'll just keep giving you facts," Stark added.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more