Jason Aldean’s “Attempt That in a Small City” Hits No. 1 on Billboard Sizzling 100

Jason Aldean’s controversial tune “Attempt That in a Small City” has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. What’s extra, for the primary time in Billboard historical past, the highest three entires on the chart are all held by nation artists.

“Attempt That in a Small City,” which has been criticized by artists like Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell for stoking violence, is up from its No. 2 spot on the charts final week. The tune loved one of many greatest gross sales week for a rustic launch in over 10 years, receiving 30.7 million streams and eight.8 million radio listens, in addition to promoting 175,000 copies.

Proper behind Aldean are Morgan Wallen’s “Final Night time” at No. 2 and Luke Combs’ cowl of Tracy Chapman’s “Quick Automobile” at No. 3 — additional proof that nation music has a singular capacity to impress followers into business success.

For probably the most half, Aldean has defended “Attempt That in a Small City,” insisting that the tune  is a few prideful group, not a threatening one. That’s even if the tune’s music video was shot the positioning of a lynching, and its lyric video references an assault on an anti-segregationist reporter.

Most not too long ago, Aldean likened the tune’s lyrics to the response of vigilantes who got here collectively after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, noting that they’d have “beat the shit” out of the bombing suspects in the identical means rural of us may struggle crime of their houses.

The nation artist has wavered on one facet of the tune, nevertheless. After many identified its racist undertones, Aldean edited the music video to not embrace footage of a Black Lives Matter protest.