It looks like controversy worked in Jason Aldean's favor as his recent tune "Try That in a Small Town" soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song made its Billboard debut just last week, when it secured the No. 2 spot behind "Seven," the solo single from BTS' Jungkook featuring Latto.
"Well, yesterday was a monumental day for @jasonaldean," Brittany Aldean, Aldean's wife, posted to Instagram. "#1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart!! . . . A career first That sure did backfire, didn't it?? The best fans EVERRR."
Aldean's song has continued to receive widespread backlash after several critics claimed its lyrics are both pro-gun and pro-lynching. In response, Country Music Television removed the song's music video from its channel, but that hasn't stopped it from rising to popularity. Aldeans' video currently has over 24 million views, and is the No. 1 trending video under YouTube's "Music" category.
Amid widespread criticism, Aldean has vehemently defended his song and video, asserting that the recent allegations are "meritless" and "dangerous." While performing at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center on July 21, Aldean told his audience, "Cancel culture is a thing . . . which means try and ruin your life, ruin everything. One thing I saw this week was a bunch of country music fans that could see through a lot of the bulls**t, all right?" per The Columbus Dispatch.
