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☆ A Gen Z pop star kicked off Harris’ campaign. Puerto Rican musicians may bring her to the finish line
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Elizabeth Wagmeister | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Harris campaign officials had always planned for star-studded events in the homestretch of the presidential election. Harris pollster Matt Barreto, who focuses on Latino voters, argued that endorsements can help mobilize voters. Annie Mulligan/APBoth campaigns utilize the power of celebrityEver since Harris’ campaign kicked off with Charli XCX’s lime green stamp of approval, Hollywood’s influence has been in the spotlight. Both Harris and Trump swiftly pounced on the “Swiftie” fanbase, showcasing the pop superstar’s immense reach: The Harris campaign created Harris-Walz friendship bracelets inspired by the singer, while the Trump campaign released Eras Tour-inspired T-shirts. As Election Day nears, the Harris campaign is bringing in more A-listers to mobilize people to vote, including a long-anticipated appearance by Beyoncé last week.

Persons: CNN —, Nicky Jam, Donald Trump, ” Nicky Jam, Harris, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Don Omar, “ Despacito, Luis Fonsi, Bunny, Lopez, Trump, –, Danielle Alvarez, Bunny –, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio –, Harris ’, “, ”, Bad Bunny, Harris pollster Matt Barreto, ” Barreto, Barreto, ” Beyoncé, Kamala Harris, Annie Mulligan, kamala, Charli, Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift’s, Walz, Beyoncé, Brett Favre, Phil McGraw, Elon Musk, Angela Weiss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’m, ” Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer, Roseanne Barr, Jason Aldean, John Rich, Dennis Quaid, Zachary Levi, Mel Gibson, Mike Tyson, Harrison Butker, Buzz Aldrin, podcasters, Adin Ross, podcaster Joe Rogan Organizations: CNN, Las, Puerto Ricans, Trump’s New, Trump’s New York City, Puerto, Bad, Hollywood, Packers, Trump’s, Television, Madison, Getty, Republican, ”, Trump, Kansas City Chiefs Locations: Las Vegas, Trump’s New York, “ Puerto Rico, Puerto, Puerto Rican, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Houston, Gen, Green Bay , Wisconsin, Trump’s, New York City, California, American, Hollywood

☆ Michelle Obama, in first appearance on the Harris campaign trail, says the race is 'too close for my liking'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Her first campaign visit for Kamala Harris came Saturday in Michigan, where polls show a tight race. In her speech, Obama said the race is "too close for my liking." AdvertisementMichelle Obama made her first official appearance on the campaign trail with Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday, speaking in Michigan, where polls show a tight race between the VP and former President Donald Trump. AdvertisementMultiple polls, including national polling by The New York Times and Siena College, show a deadlocked race between Harris and Trump. Spokespeople for Harris, Obama, and Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Michelle Obama hasn't, Kamala Harris, Obama, —, Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Harris, Trump, It's, we've, Trump's, Beyoncé, I'm, Julia Roberts, Eminem, Oprah Winfrey, Dennis Quaid, Jason Aldean, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Democratic National Convention, The New York Times, Siena College, Trump ., Quinnipiac University, Trump, Trump's White Locations: Michigan, Kalamazoo

☆ Election Live Updates: Republicans Leave Convention Unified Around Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jim Rutenberg | Adam Nagourney | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +74 min

And there was great, great sorrow. They’re going to be OK. They’re going to be doing very well. Now he’s going to get on the plane in a little while and he’s going to go back home to his wife. Great, great student at Yale. So many — just so many heroes, so many great, great people.

Persons: Dana, Bob, ”, Lee, you’ll, it’s, didn’t, Nobody, “, I’m, Corey Comperatore, David Dutch, James Copenhaver, We’re, Corey, Helen ., David, James, Dan Newlin, Dan, Trump, —, Aileen Cannon, I’ve, Don, Kimberly, Ivanka, Jared, Eric, Lara, Tiffany, Michael, Barron, he’s, “ Dana won’t, That’s Lee Greenwood, … Eric, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, They’ve, Jason, Jason Aldean, Vance, Usha, He’s, He’ll, MAGA, ” MAGA, I’ll, you’re, nobody’s, We’ve, Somebody’s, they’re, It’s, can’t, We’ll, don’t, “ I’m, we’ll, Biden, They’re, that’s, you’ve, I’d, gee, You’d, That’s what’s, Donald Trump, That’s, There’s, Tom Homan, Brandon Judd, They’ll, Obama, They’d, “ You’ve, we’re, we’ve, Hannibal Lecter, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, Rachel, Laken Riley, horrifically, Viktor Orban, what’s, Bush, it’ll, Kim Jung Un, Sam Brown, Sam, You’ve, Abdul, Don’t, You’re, Ronald Reagan, America’s, Franklin Graham, Franklin, Billy Graham, he’d, soldiered Organizations: of Pennsylvania, Secret Service, Service, Democrat, Republican Party, Republican, Democrats, America, Yale, ISIS, Space Force, Energy, Apple, Trump, Republican Senate, White, Republicans, United Auto Workers, Social Security, Border Patrol, ICE, ”, Lambs, University of Georgia, “, U.S, Senate, Washington, D.C, Yankee, Win Locations: America, United States, Butler Township, of, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Asia, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, China, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Germany, Mexico, Nevada, United States of America, There’s, South America, Africa, Middle East, Venezuela, Caracas, El Salvador, Houston, Los Angeles, Maryland, Hungary, “ Russia, Georgia, Crimea, Syria, Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan, Bagram, Cuba, Miami, U.S.A, Wisconsin , Wisconsin, Washington, Japan, Delaware, Valley Forge, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Midway

☆ Trump fans turn US flags upside down to protest former president’s conviction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hanging the United States flag upside down, a move that is supposed to signal distress and that has ensnared Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in controversy, is now being practiced by supporters of Donald Trump to protest the former president’s conviction in his hush money trial. Prominent Trump supporters such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and former national security adviser Michael Flynn posted pictures of upside-down flags on social media soon after a New York jury found Trump guilty Thursday. By Friday, pro-Trump social media accounts were awash with images of inverted flags hanging on porches and lawns across the country. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, posted an image appearing to show the flag hanging upside down above its Washington, DC, headquarters. “The city was very surprised to learn someone inverted the flags, which were set up in honor of our community’s veterans.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Flynn, Trump, Flynn, ” Dylan Feik, Alito, Jason Aldean –, –, Instagram, “ Organizations: CNN, United, Trump, New, Heritage Foundation, KTLA, New York Times Locations: United States, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, New York, Washington, DC, California, Monrovia, Los Angeles County, Monrovia’s

Conservatives have looked to country music over the decades to voice political beliefs and react to social change. Maines called Keith’s song “ignorant,” while Keith began performing in front of a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein. KEITH WAS A FAN OF THE MILITARY, AND VICE VERSAIn the years following “Courtesy,” Keith participated in 18 USO tours, performing for more than 250,000 service members in his lifetime. Lucas says he and others sent CDs with Keith’s song, “American Soldier,” to the wives of the men serving with his son. Keith “emboldened others in country music to think viewpoints that might be perceived as angry and conservative were okay to express,” Willman says.

Persons: — Toby Keith’s, Keith, We’ll, Jason Aldean, Jason Isbell, ”, Chris Willman, “, Willman, Willie Nelson, Amanda Marie Martinez, Jim Crow America, ” Martinez, Merle Haggard, “ Okie, Haggard, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama’s, “ Let's, George W, Bush, Obama, Donald Trump, it’s, Joseph M, Thompson, Alan Jackson, Jackson, Darryl Worley’s “, Clint Black’s “, Natalie Maines, Maines, Saddam Hussein, KEITH, ” Keith, John A, Lucas, ” Lucas, ’ ” Lucas, Aldean, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Keith “, ” Willman, Pat Finnerty, Toby Keith, Hogan, ” Finnerty, ‘, Finnerty, Jude ’, it’d, Maria Sherman Organizations: Country Music, Variety, Pentagon, Dixie Chicks, U.S . Army, Army, North Locations: NORFOLK, Va, U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, America, Vietnam, Muskogee, Iran, Clint Black’s “ Iraq, Richmond , Virginia, Tennessee, Richmond, ”, Philadelphia, Los Angeles

In her 14-page order, Brooklyn Federal Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall traced the evolution of hip-hop over five decades, referencing tracks from over a dozen artists before ultimately finding the lyrics inadmissible. “From the genre’s nascence as an oral tradition, rap artists have played the part of storytellers, providing a lens into their lives and those in their communities,” Hall wrote. The use of rap lyrics in criminal prosecutions has become a contentious subject in several high-profile cases, including the ongoing racketeering trial of Young Thug. Defense lawyers have claimed the government dragged its feet in indicting Washington and Jordan, making it harder for them to defend themselves. Both men have pleaded not guilty, as has a third defendant who was charged this past May and will be tried separately.

Persons: Jay can’t, Karl Jordan Jr, gunning, Jay, Jason Mizell, LaShann, ”, Prosecutors, Jordan, Hall, Nas, Vince Staples, Joe, Queen Latifah, Jason Aldean, Young, Ronald Washington, Mizell Organizations: Brooklyn Federal Locations: York, Brooklyn, indicting Washington, Jordan

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesStill, country music has broken new ground. He says country music is now in a position where people who “maybe never gave us a chance” are listening to country music with an open-mindedness. Smyers has his own theories to why country music is experiencing this explosive period. “And I feel like country music kind of does the authenticity thing better than any other genre.”Up-and-comer Megan Moroney agrees. “I just kind of stay in my lane and do the best I can with supporting country music,” she told AP.

Persons: Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Roll, Harvey Mason, ”, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Aldean’s “, Wallen’s “, Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Oliver Anthony’s, “, Richmond ”, Wilson’s Deana Carter, Bailey, Wilson, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress, Dan Smyers, Dan, Shay, Justin Bieber, I’ve, Smyers, Dustin Lynch, Darius Rucker, “ I've, Megan Moroney, there's, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, John Legend, Chance, Garth Brooks, Brooks, fiddles, ” Brooks, it’s Organizations: ANGELES, Recording Academy, Associated Press, North, Richmond, “, AP, United, CBS, Paramount, Crypto.com Locations: —, U.S, Luminate, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, Europe, America, Nashville, Los Angeles

Aldean and Anthony's dominance wasn't long — and Combs did earn a 2024 Grammy nomination for best country solo performance — but Wallen stands out as an obvious exclusion. While “Last Night” is nominated for best country song, a songwriter's award, Wallen himself isn't despite his successful year. Monét has also picked up record of the year and best R&B song nominations for her glossy, brassy “On My Mama,” best R&B performance and best traditional R&B performance. Her 2023 release, “Jaguar ll,” is up for best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. IT'S RAINING WOMEN, HALLEJUAHThe best story of the 2024 Grammy nominations, of course, is just how many women are represented in the major categories.

Persons: “ Barbie, Reneé Rapp, Rapp's, ”, Rapp, PinkPantheress, Eslabon, Ella Baila Sola, Bunny, Natanael Cano, Karol G's, Jason Aldean's “, Morgan Wallen's “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman's, Oliver Anthony Music's, Combs, Wallen, isn't, he's, NewJeans, Barbie, PRINCE HARRY, Michelle Williams, Britney Spears, Prince Harry, Meryl Streep, William Shatner, Rick Rubin, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, WHO'S, There's, Travis Scott's, Scott, Cole’s, Uzi Vert’s “, Victoria Monét's, Monét, Ariana Grande’s, Chloe x Halle, she’s, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste Organizations: ANGELES, música Mexicana, Grupo Frontera, Fuerza, North Locations: Será Bonito, ”, Richmond

☆ Opinion: The 2,000-year-old advice for coping in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. A surprising number claimed to think about the ancient empire as often as ‘every day’ or least every week or two. It became a meme (are you even in a relationship if she hasn’t asked you about the Roman Empire? They marvel at their absolute dominion, their mastery of every strand of civilisation — and then how that power suddenly slipped away. Biden on Wednesday took steps to speed up the ability of Venezuelans in the US to obtain work permits.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Seneca, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Bobby McFerrin’s musing, David M, Perry, hasn’t, Jo Ellison, —, Marcus Aurelius, that’s, David Perry, “ There’s, ” Perry, Paula M, Krebs, “, Donald Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Trump, …, ’, ” Cupp, Roe, Wade, Cupp, he’s, Dean Obeidallah, Trump’s, Patrick T, Brown, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zurawik, Rupert, Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Richard Nixon, ” Murdoch “, Walt Handelsman, Kevin McCarthy, Max Burns, Donald Trump, today’s MAGA, ” Clay Jones, Chuck Schumer, Elena Sheppard, Sen, John Fetterman, baring, Fetterman, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Yo Jong, Sung, Yoon Lee, “ Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Kim Jong, ” “, Hunter Biden isn’t, Alexis Coe, George Washington’s, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, Hunter, … Hunter, Joe Biden, Biden, Peter Bergen, Mike Pence, … Biden, Bergen, ” Lisa Benson, Martin Sheen, Melissa Fitzgerald, Gurney, John F, Melissa, Andy, Michael Bociurkiw, ” Bociurkiw, Volodymyr Zelensky “, Zelensky, Lanhee J, Chen, ” Chen, Keir Giles, It’ll, Jennifer Wexton, Barbara Comstock, Alex Brandon, Jill Filipovic, Democrat “, ” Wexteon “, Eric Adams, Julian Zelizer . Biden, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Frida Ghitis, Agatha Christie, China Adam H, Sobel, Holly Thomas, Russell Brand, Akanksha, Dan Perry, Gilead, Netanyahu government’s, Gene Seymour, Jann, Reggie B, Maren Morris, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Maren Morris, Nicole Hemmer, Morris ’, Morris, Jason Aldean’s “, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Richmond ”, “ Rich, ” Hemmer, Anthony himself, ‘, Hemmer Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, West Virginia University, Modern Language Association, WVU, West Virginia, Republican, Press, Florida Gov, White, Content Agency, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch Media, Fox News, Capitol, Agency, Democratic, fied Republican Party, Republican Party, Justice Department, Qatari, Amnesty International, Kennedy Center, UN, Assembly, CBS, Ukraine’s, Republicans, Democrat, Progressive Supra, GOP, Walton, Mobile, North, Richmond Locations: Rome, Ukraine, TikTok, Roman, Roman Republic, Washington, ”, Korean, North Korea, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Dulles , Virginia, Virginia, New York City, United States, China, Las Vegas , Nevada

☆ The Half-Truth of America’s Past Greatness - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Esau Mccaulley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

People unfamiliar with the idea of a racial map may have been surprised by Black responses to Jason Aldean’s country song “Try That in a Small Town,” which became a hit this summer. I wonder how often vigilante groups were formed to protect Black Southerners from harm rather than inflict it upon them. According to Mr. Aldean, it is simply about the traditional values of small-town America. Do we discover it during the first centuries of the Republic when slavery was the law of the land? The small-town song, in the end, is about a return to a glorious past that existed only for some.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, Aldean, he’s, Jim Crow Locations: ”, America, Republic

☆ How Tractor Supply managed to shrink theft rates when they're surging almost everywhere else
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tractor Supply Co.'s CEO says retail crime is a major problem, but his company is bucking the trend. He revealed four factors that have helped Tractor Supply see lower rates of inventory shrink this year. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf it costs a lot at Tractor Supply, it's probably also heavy. "You basically get greeted and you're checked out right in the front of our store," Lawton said. Hard-to-steal merchandiseOf course, the types of products that Tractor Supply sells — livestock feed, gun safes, truck boxes, etc.

Persons: Jahi, Hal Lawton, Lawton, it's, Dominick Reuter, Jason Aldean Organizations: Target, Tractor Supply, Service, Dick's Sporting Goods, National Retail Federation, Giant Food, Washington, Getty, Tractor, Home, eBay, Retail Industry, Association, Supply, Costco Locations: Wall, Silicon, Macy's

Interest in “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which was streamed 17.5 million times on services like Spotify and Apple Music in its first week of release, partly grew in the manner of a typical viral track, according to the service Luminate, whose data fuels the Billboard charts. Much of the consumer activity that drove the track to No. 1 came via 99-cent digital downloads from outlets like the iTunes Store — an outdated format that is declining in popularity faster than CDs. Despite streaming now accounting for more than 80 percent of music consumption overall, paid downloads are weighted more on the charts, a quirk exploited regularly by pop superfans devoted to acts like Ms. In often coordinated efforts, they use downloads to show support and earn chart milestones that are celebrated like wins in sports or political elections.

Persons: Jason Aldean, “, Anthony, Christopher Anthony Lunsford, —, Oliver Anthony, ”, Mr, Walsh —, superfans, Swift Organizations: Country Music Television, North, Apple Music, Daily, Korean, BTS Locations: Tennessee, Rich, Richmond, ”

☆ 'Rich Men North of Richmond': A virtually unknown conservative singer just rocketed to the top of the charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The right-wing media universe is maturing — and finding great success — beyond typical news commentary. That’s quite a feat, considering singer Christopher Anthony Lunsford was virtually unknown just weeks ago. It’s also illustrative of the power amassed by right-wing media forces, taking unknown quantities and churning them out into overnight blockbuster hits, a weaponized cudgel against perceived enemies in mainstream institutions. And, while he is a well known country singer, Jason Aldean’s widely criticized “Try That In a Small Town” was not much of a commercial success until it was boosted by right-wing media to the top of the Billboard charts. As conservatives increasingly see legacy media companies and performers as not only disagreeable, but outright evil, it makes sense that they would look toward outsiders to fill their entertainment needs.

Persons: Oliver Anthony Music’s, “, Christopher Anthony Lunsford, Lunsford, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, It’s, Donald Trump, Tom Cruise, Jason Aldean’s Organizations: CNN, North, Billboard, Fox News, Trump, Daily, Disney Locations: Richmond, Washington

☆ How Oliver Anthony’s ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ became a chart-topping conservative anthem
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —In a matter of days, Oliver Anthony’s working-class anthem, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” has gone from viral sensation to legitimate country hit. “Rich Men North of Richmond” touches upon Anthony’s time as a factory worker in Western North Carolina, he said in the video shared before the song was posted online. Conservative media personality Jason Howerton said he has offered to pay to produce Anthony’s record and that Rich had agreed to produce it. (A representative for Rich told CNN on Wednesday that there “isn’t much to report on” about Anthony and Rich working together. Anthony's song has been compared to Aldean's for their rural perspectives and embrace by conservatives.

Persons: Oliver Anthony’s, “ Rich, ”, dethroning Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Walsh, Anthony, he’s, “, …, ” Anthony, That’s what’s, Oliver Anthony, Richmond ”, Christopher Anthony Lunsford, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, RadioWV, it’s, Kari Lake, Lauren Boebert, ” It’s, Travis Tritt, John Rich of, Jason Howerton, Rich, Jason Aldean's, parlayed, “ Don’t, “ Oliver Anthony’s, Phil, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Anthony’s, Uncle Sam’s, Merle Haggard’s “, Guy Drake’s “, Cadillac ”, ain’t Organizations: CNN, North, Apple, iTunes, US Rep, YouTube, Richmond, Virgin Islands, Arizona, John Rich of Big, Rich, Conservative, Records, Facebook Locations: Richmond, ”, Virginia, Appalachia, Western North Carolina, Washington , DC, Virgin, Currituck , North Carolina, America

☆ Fact Check-Jason Aldean did not sue ‘The View’ or its hosts in July 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The claim that country music singer Jason Aldean sued the co-hosts of ABC’s “The View” for defamation originated from a satirical website. The Dunning Kruger Times describes itself as part of a network of “parody, satire and tomfoolery,” adding that “everything on this website is fiction” (ghostarchive.org/archive/Rybzc). There are no credible media reports of Aldean having filed such a suit in July 2023, when the claim began circulating online (ghostarchive.org/archive/KP5ah). A spokesperson for “The View” did not provide comment, while a representative for BBR Music Group, the agency that represents Aldean, did not respond to a request for comment. The claim stems from the satirical website Dunning Kruger Times.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Dunning Kruger, Whoopi, Aldean, “, Dunning, Read Organizations: Washington Post, New York Times, Dunning Kruger Times, BBR Music, Reuters

☆ A Multiracial, Hip-Hop-and-Bluegrass Band Wants to Fix Hate in America - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Farah Stockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The free publicity, complete with an online post by Donald Trump, spurred a surge in record sales. I recently spent two days with Gangstagrass, a band that is making music that actually unites us, and reflecting on why it isn’t better known. A version of the group produced the theme song of the TV drama “Justified.” (The song, “Long Hard Times to Come,” was nominated for an Emmy in 2010.) The multiracial band was created by Rench, a Brooklyn-based musician and producer. When he isn’t making music, Mr. Whitener is a stay-at-home dad.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, ”, Aldean’s, Donald Trump, “, M.C, Dan Whitener, Farrow, Whitener, Dolio Organizations: Gangstagrass, Times, Phillies, Adidas Locations: Brooklyn, Pensacola, Fla, New Jersey, Omaha

☆ Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Hits No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” which the country star portrays as a paean to neighborly values but critics have described as a call to racist vigilantism, opened at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, after its music video became a culture war battleground. 1 single on Billboard’s all-genre singles chart in Aldean’s nearly two-decade career as a top Nashville hitmaker. As the song has stirred debate, tweaks have been made to its music video, which early on was pulled without explanation by Country Music Television but remains available on YouTube. Last week, a new version appeared, six seconds shorter than the original and scrubbed of news clips showing Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, Nashville hitmaker Organizations: Nashville, Country Music, YouTube Locations: ”, Aldean’s, United States

☆ Fact Check-Claim Blake Shelton canceled TV contract stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence that American singer Blake Shelton has pulled out of a multimillion-dollar project with Country Music Television (CMT). Reuters found no evidence that Shelton had a “$30-million-dollar project” with CMT, or that he has stepped away from one. No announcements about the purported partnership are featured on Shelton’s website (www.blakeshelton.com/news), or social media profiles (twitter.com/blakeshelton), (www.facebook.com/blakeshelton/). Representatives for CMT and for Shelton did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The claim that Blake Shelton has canceled a multimillion contract with CMT is unfounded and originates from a satirical website.

Persons: Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean’s, CMT’s, Shelton, Dunning, Dunning Kruger, tomfoolery, Read Organizations: Country Music Television, CMT, Tennessee Courthouse, NBC, Facebook, Reuters, Dunning Kruger Times, Defense Locations: ”, African

☆ Analysis: Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

White jazz artists were antiracists before the term was inventedMany of the tributes to Bennett mentioned his disdain for bigotry. Many White jazz artists were antiracists, long before the word was invented. Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s musical mentor, recorded with and relentlessly championed Black jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. He hired a Black jazz bassist, Eugene Wright, and refused to play in segregated venues. There are countless photos of a beaming Bennett hanging out with Black jazz artists.

Persons: Tony Bennett, Ed Sullivan’s, Bennett, ”, Duke Ellington, “, ’ ” Bennett, there’s, Jason Aldean, Aldean, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Rick Diamond, Bennett —, ” Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Benny Goodman, Jim Crow, Ellington, Louis Armstrong, don’t, It’s, that’s, Lionel Hampton, Goodman, Michael Ochs, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, fidgety, “ We’ll, “ You’re, ” Winehouse, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Elvis Costello, Bennett’s unflappability, Bennett wasn’t, Brubeck, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Evans, Mark Allan, Greg Thomas, ” Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas, Wynton Marsalis, Bennett –, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, –, Thomas, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Toronto Star, MLK, Atlanta Civic Center, US Army, Carnegie Hall, Michael Ochs Archives, Jazz, Studios Locations: New York, Tennessee, America, Atlanta, Nazi, African, British, Turkey, Japan, London, Aldean, American, Europe, United States

☆ Analysis: Country music is at a crossroads. Two of its most viral songs show why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The struggle for the soul of country music is on full display now as two very different songs have been making headlines. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesThese two songs, so differently received yet recorded under the same big country umbrella, are an embodiment of the crossroads where country music currently stands. Like all musical traditions that fuse, evolve and splinter, country music and its legions of fans are engaged in a negotiation for the genre’s main identity. When the Dixie Chicks spoke out against the Iraq War in the early 2000s, their popularity in country music circles never fully recovered.. Small towns, fast cars and American values are as essential to country music as four chords and the truth.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman, Chapman, Combs, ”, Tracy, ” Chapman, “, Luke, Bryan Bedder, they’ve, Aldean, Little Richard, Otis Redding, ” Aldean, —, Holly G, Morgan Wallen, Michael Loccisano, foremothers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, ” Combs, it’s Organizations: CNN, CMT, Billboard, Singer, Amarillo, Black Opry, Washington Post, Texas Democrat, country’s, Dixie, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Copenhagen, underrepresentation, Aldean, Macon , Georgia, Iraq

☆ Fact Check-Luke Bryan did not pull his videos from Country Music Television
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A satirical article which says American singer Luke Bryan pulled his videos from Country Music Television (CMT) and should be boycotted after the channel stopped airing a music video by country singer Jason Aldean is being shared by users who believe it to be fact. The text in one Facebook post (here) reads, “Luke Bryan pulls his videos from CMT over Jason Aldean debacle: “Folks, it’s time for the Bud Light treatment” ... read it below!”Another example can be seen (here). “It’s time for the Bud Light treatment” refers to a backlash and boycotts from some conservative Bud Light consumers after the beer brand’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney (here), (here). Reuters found no evidence online that Bryan did pull his music videos from CMT. Claims that country singer Luke Bryan pulled his music videos from CMT originates from a satirical website.

Persons: Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Jason Aldean’s, CMT’s, “ Luke Bryan, Bud, “, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, The Dunning, ”, Dunning, tomfoolery, Bryan, Read Organizations: Country Music Television, NBC, CMT, Tennessee Courthouse, Bud Light, Kruger Times, Defense, Reuters Locations: ”, African

☆ Fact Check-Kid Rock did not cancel 2024 tour with Sheryl Crow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Social media posts are claiming that singer Kid Rock cancelled a tour with Sheryl Crow in a display of solidarity with country singer Jason Aldean, who had a music video taken down after criticism, including from Crow. “Everyone is backing Jason Aldean,” wrote users on Facebook who shared a poster featuring Rock and Crow with the words “Kid Rock Cancels Six Tour Dates With Sheryl Crow: ‘Jason Aldean is a Good Man’ (here). “Standing up for what is right I applaud u kid rock,” and, “That’s so amazing! Thank you, Kid Rock, for speaking up for us,” read two responses. The claim about Kid Rock cancelling a tour with Sheryl Crow scheduled for 2024 stems from a satirical website.

Persons: Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Jason Aldean, Dunning, CMT’s, ”, Reponses, “, tomfoolery ”, dunning, kruger, Crow, Read Organizations: Kruger Times, NBC, CMT, Courthouse, Facebook, Defense, Rock, Reuters, Kid Locations: Crow, ”, African, Detroit , Michigan

☆ Jason Aldean’s ‘Small Town’ video edited to remove Atlanta protest footage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A music video for a controversial Jason Aldean song that has received both backlash and support has been shortened by a few seconds, removing apparent television footage of a protest in Atlanta, Georgia. It is unclear as to when and why the video was edited, but public outcry over the music video erupted last week. While the song was released in May, according to Billboard, the accompanying video wasn’t released until July 14. CMT pulled the music video from rotation last week. 2 on Billboard’s Global 200 chart and the music video had more than 19 million views as of Wednesday.

Persons: Jason Aldean, “, Henry Choate, Aldean Organizations: CNN, Fox News, YouTube, Aldean, Fox, Billboard, Columbia, Riot, CMT, Billboard’s Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, “, Georgia, Aldean, Maury, Columbia , Tennessee

☆ Jason Aldean, Decrying ‘Cancel Culture,’ Has a No. 2 Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In May, the country star Jason Aldean released a single, “Try That in a Small Town,” with lyrics that paint contemporary urban life as a hellscape of crime and anarchy: “Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk/Carjack an old lady at a red light.”“You think you’re tough,” Aldean sings. “Well, try that in a small town.”Initially, the track got relatively little notice, landing at No. “Try That in a Small Town” makes its debut at No. 2 on the Hot 100, Aldean’s best showing ever on Billboard’s all-genre pop chart, beating current hits by Olivia Rodrigo and Morgan Wallen. Aldean was surpassed this week only by Jung Kook of the South Korean supergroup BTS, whose debut solo single, “Seven,” opens at No.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Aldean, Aldean —, “, Olivia Rodrigo, Morgan Wallen, Jung Kook, ”, Henry Choate, — Organizations: Korean, BTS Locations: ”, Maury, Columbia, Tenn

☆ The History of the Lynching Site Where Jason Aldean Filmed a Music Video
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The new video for the country singer Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town” takes place outside a courthouse in Tennessee where, nearly a century ago, an 18-year-old Black man was attacked by a mob and lynched. Mr. Aldean was criticized after releasing the video, which included violent news footage of looting and unrest during protests in American cities. Country Music Television pulled the video this week after accusations surfaced on social media that its lyrics and message were offensive. “I think there is a lack of sensitivity using that courthouse as a prop,” said Cheryl L. Keyes, chair of the department of African American studies and a professor of ethnomusicology at U.C.L.A. The teenager who was lynched, Henry Choate, had traveled from his home in Coffee County, Tenn., where he worked in road construction, to visit his grandfather in nearby Maury County on Nov. 11, 1927 — Armistice Day, as it was known at the time, or Veterans Day today.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, Aldean, ”, Cheryl L, Keyes, Henry Choate Organizations: Country Music Television Locations: Tennessee, U.C.L.A, Coffee County, Tenn, Maury County

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