The telecast will not air the singer's controversial music video.
Jason Aldean's performance of his controversial song will be televised.
ET has learned that the CMA Fest special, which will air Wednesday on ABC, will feature the 46-year-old singer's June performance of "Try That in a Small Town." It will not, however, feature any footage from the song's music video.
Aldean's performance was recorded during CMA Fest, which took place in Nashville last month, before the July 14 release of his music video.
TMZ was first to report the news.
Controversy around the song began swirling with the release of Aldean's music video, with some critics describing the tune as tone-deaf and divisive, and calling it out for its pro-gun lyrics.
The music video, which was shot at the Maury County Courthouse, the site of the 1927 lynching of Henry Choate, also caught heat for including clips of protestors vandalizing cities in the wake of police brutality and racial unrest during the height of the pandemic.
One of the most vocal critics was Sheryl Crow, who tweeted of the video, "I'm from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There's nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It's just lame."
Tacklebox, the production company behind the music video, told ET that the video's location is a popular filming location outside of Nashville and cited several music videos and films that have been filmed there -- including most recently the Lifetime Original movie Steppin' into the Holiday with Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer, a music video from Runaway June "We Were Rich," a Paramount holiday film A Nashville Country Christmas with Tanya Tucker, as well the Hannah Montana film.
Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video's location decision is false, the production company told ET, before noting that Aldean did not pick the location.
The production company for the video confirmed the location is a popular filming location outside of Nashville and cited several music videos and films that have been filmed there-including most recently the Lifetime Original movie “Steppin’ into the Holiday” with Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer, a music video from Runaway June “We Were Rich” a Paramount holiday film “A Nashville Country Christmas” with Tanya Tucker- as well the Hannah Montana film. Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video’s location decision is false. They also noted Aldean did not pick the location.
Aldean himself defended the song and its video, writing, "I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests."
"These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he wrote. "There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it -- and there is not 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."
As for the lyrics about guns, Aldean wrote, "As many pointed out, I was present at Route 91 where so many lost their lives -- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.
"'Try That In a Small Town,' for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences," he concluded. "My political views have never been something I've hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this country don't agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to -- that's what this song is about."
Despite Aldean's statement, and public support from his wife, Brittany Aldean, ET confirmed that CMT pulled the music video from broadcast.
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