In what appears to be a thinly veiled jab at Jason Aldean, Maren Morris isn’t mincing words. The 33-year-old songstress dropped a teaser for new music on September 7th, where she seemed to take aim at Aldean and his contentious song.
The track in question, laden with lyrics accused of promoting violence and carrying racial undertones, prompted Morris to throw subtle shade. “Try that in a small town,” sings Aldean, amidst a backdrop of controversy surrounding the song’s message.
In a social media post, Morris shares an image of herself gazing upward, followed by a video that pans towards a sign reading, “Welcome to our perfect small town from sunrise to sundown.” Accompanying this visual is a caption that speaks volumes: “I’m done filling a cup with the hole in the bottom.”
This apparent dig at her fellow country superstar comes over a year after a feud erupted between Morris and Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean, on social media. The feud stemmed from comments made by Brittany criticizing gender expression.
Aldean’s song, with its provocative lyrics like “full of good old boys raised up right if you’re looking for a fight, try that in a small town,” ignited further controversy. The music video, shot in front of the Mari County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, a site infamous for a 1927 mob lynching, drew sharp criticism. The video’s use of violent news footage, including protests, only fueled the fire.
Jason Aldean himself was at the center of tragedy during the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2017, where a gunman unleashed terror, claiming 59 lives. Aldean addressed critics on Twitter, defending his song as a tribute to community spirit.
“In the past 24 hours, I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song,” Aldean wrote, emphasizing that the song had been out since May and was not meant to incite violence. He reiterated his stance against senseless headlines and tragedies, emphasizing the unity he experienced growing up in a small town.
“Try that in a small town,” it seems, is more than just a line from a song—it’s a reflection of values and community, and in this case, a point of contention between two country music powerhouses.
