Less than a year after CMT pulled Jason Aldean's music video for “Try That in a Small Town” from its rotation, the country singer made a notable appearance at the CMT Music Awards. Aldean performed his song “Let Your Boys Be Country” at the live ceremony held at the Moody Center in Austin, with his performance taking place on an outdoor stage at the University of Texas at Austin.
In May 2023, Aldean released “Try That in a Small Town” along with a music video in July. The track faced criticism for its perceived promotion of gun violence and its controversial lyrics that seemed to target the Black Lives Matter movement. Some of the contentious lyrics included references to disrespecting law enforcement and desecrating the American flag.
