Country star Jason Aldean has urged his young fans to "get out and vote" if they want to see any real change in the country.
Addressing the crowd at a recent concert, the singer-songwriter highlighted the upcoming elections, saying, "November is a huge month for our country. Huge month."
"It's not place for me to stand up here and tell you who to vote for and who not to vote for. That ain't my business. It ain't my place to tell you that. But I will say, I see a lot of young people out here. … People that can actually vote now – you're of age to vote," he continued.
Aldean noted that voting "is a big deal," adding that people who don't do so have no right to complain about the outcome of the election.
"If you want to see some [expletive] change, then get out. It takes 30 minutes out of your day," he added.
"I know who I hope wins, and I hope they're jamming this song when my man walks into the White House," said Aldean, who joined former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in July.
Aldean sparked cheers and backlash last year with the release of "Try That in a Small Town," with many raising concerns over certain lyrics that they believe may promote gun violence. Particularly, there is a section where Aldean narrates a story about a gun he received from his grandfather, and he sings, "They say one day they're gonna round up/Well, that [expletive] might fly in the city, good luck."
The accompanying music video shows a mix of scenes featuring protesters, some of whom are in confrontation with the police. The video was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which is where a Black man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.
Aldean addressed the criticism on social media, highlighting accusations that he released a "pro-lynching song" and was against the Black Lives Matter protests.
"These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he said.
"There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage. And while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music, this one goes too far," he added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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