Country Music Television withdrew Jason Aldean’s Try That In A Small Town off the air on Monday, only days after it was released.
Aldean, 46, called the comments “meritless” and “dangerous” on Twitter.
Sheryl Crow, another country singer, accused Aldean of “promoting violence.”
The song was published in May, but the video was released last Friday and swiftly drew criticism.
The three-minute movie includes footage of masked demonstrators, Molotov cocktails, a burning American flag, and robbery.
“Well, try it in a small town and see how far you get down the road,” Aldean sings.
In addition, the lyrics mention “a gun that my grandfather gave me” and villages “full of good ol’ boys, raised up right.”
In 1927, a white mob lynched a young black man, Henry Choate, from the structure, according to critics.
But, according to Aldean, the song has nothing to do with race and is instead a celebration of small-town virtues.
“In the last 24 hours, I’ve been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (which has been out since May) and was subjected to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” he stated.
“These references are not only meritless, but also dangerous.”
The award-winning country music musician was speaking a day after Country Music Television removed his video off rotation.
“Try That in a Small Town,” he tweeted, “refers to the sense of community I had growing up, where we looked out for our neighbours regardless of background or belief.”
The video, according to some, offers a divided message.
Sheryl Crow responded to Aldean’s remark with, “I’m from a tiny town. Even in tiny communities, people are tired of violence. Promoting violence is neither small-town nor American.”
“This is neither American nor small-town. Crow, 61, said, “It’s just lame.”
“We have an obligation to condemn Jason Aldean’s heinous song calling for racist violence,” Tennessee senator Justin Jones, a pro-gun control activist, tweeted. What a horrible portrayal of gun extremism and vigilantism.”
However, Aldean supporters flocked to his defence.
One YouTube commenter accused the media of applauding rap songs that celebrate violence, while “a video by a country singer about self-defense and neighbours looking out for each other is banned.”
In his post, Aldean referred to his 2017 performance at a Las Vegas outdoor music festival when a shooter opened fire from a hotel room, killing 58 people.
“NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart,” Aldean, a strong conservative, added.
Try That In A Small Town topped Apple’s iTunes download list on Wednesday.
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