Jason Aldean has some country music stars joining the battle!
Social media users criticized the image, saying he essentially incited violence and glorified fascism for three minutes and nine seconds.
The song has a lot of people talking about it. And it even sparked an online war of words between the two musicians! The feud began when singer-songwriter Jason Isbell called out Aldean to defend the content of his controversial single when he didn’t even write it:
“Daring Aldean to write his next single himself. That’s what we try in my small town. Okay, here we go @Jason_Aldean I’m challenging you to write your own song. All alone. If you’re a recording artist, create some art. I want to hear it.”
He added:
“Seriously, how do you protect the content of a song when you’re not even in the room? You just received it from your manufacturer. If you were there when it was written, you will be listed as a writer. We all know how it works.”
Apparently, Jason’s comments didn’t sit well with fellow artist Jake Owen! He clapped back for criticizing Aldean through a tweet instead of to his face:
“Jason, you’re always the first one to stand behind the keyboard and say this stupid thing. In ‘my little town’ you just walk up to the guy and be a man to his face if you want to smoke… not tweet it at him… Tough guy.
Is this guy really defending Aldean? Isbell wasn’t standing for the criticism! He later slammed the 41-year-old’s comments, saying:
“What really gets me about this is that it’s saying, ‘If you don’t believe you can physically overpower me, you aren’t allowed to publicly disagree with me.’ What does that say to the people in your life who aren’t big strong boys? They just have to shut up?”
And their heated argument didn’t end there! Jake then issued a lengthy response clarifying why he was heated over the songwriting dig:
“I’ve spent my entire career trying to promote positivity. At my shows, off the stage, wherever I am. I don’t like division or hate. That’s why I responded to the previous tweet. Being crass, I replied bc I was offended by @JasonIsbell insinuation that ‘if you don’t write your own songs, you’re less than or not a real artist …’
The singer pointed out that although he’s written and recorded “a lot of songs” over the years, he doesn’t “write everything in order to prove to myself or anyone that I’m a ‘real artist.’” Jake noted he’s “grateful for the many songwriters” he’s worked with over the years and most likely “wouldn’t have had the career I have had” without them. He continued:
“I bet @JasonIsbell is grateful @MorganWallen recorded his song ‘Cover Me Up’… I am a @JasonIsbell music fan. Always have been. I understand his takes on things can be polarizing. I chime in when I feel like there’s a low blow being thrown. The ‘write your own songs’ dagger cuts me deep because I think that is the wrong way to encourage artists trying to make it, and quite frankly Jason Isbell has a large voice. He IS respected. I know I’ve made a great living and have been fortunate enough to support my family NOT because I am better than anyone.. I’m lucky…and, I’ve just tried to record the best songs that I Iove. I think most artists do that. I came in hot on the conversation because I’m passionate about it. I listen to @JasonIsbell and @Jason_Aldean In retrospect, I should of clarified from the jump, but my human emotions got in the way.”
Look… He’s missing part of Isbell’s point. How can Aldean defend the song when he may not have been in the same room as the writers who wrote it? Because let’s be honest, the people who say the music video and lyrics are explicitly pro-choice, threaten people, promote vigilante violence, and push anti-Black Lives Matter messages — well, they gives a lot of great perspective on that! You can’t deny that it’s some really dangerous and messy stuff.
