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'It's peaceful over here,' South Bibb residents react to new Jason Aldean song about small towns

The song, 'Try That in a Small Town' drew nationwide criticism, but some in Central Georgia question the song's name.

MACON, Ga. — You may have heard about all sorts of reactions to a song by country superstar Jason Aldean, who grew up in south Bibb County.

The track, 'Try That in a Small Town,' was released in mid-May, but didn't really gain attention until CMT aired the song's music video, then pulled it. 

Some critics called the lyrics and the video divisive. A portion of the music video shows Aldean outside Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where a lynching happened in 1927.

By the comments on our Facebook post, many in Central Georgia also had thoughts about the song, video and aftermath. Some questioned the song's name itself, like DM Wall.

"He was neither born in a small town or ever lived in a small town," Wall said online.

Kingdom wrote, "He isn't from a small town that he sings about. You're from Macon."

Aldean grew up in south Bibb County and attended Windsor Academy. 13WMAZ went to south Bibb County and asked people whether they feel the area has a connection to Macon, or whether it's more of its own small town.

Together, Macon-Bibb County is the state's fourth-largest municipality. Some in South Bibb say the area does its own thing.

"If you live out here I think that you would feel that it is separate from Macon," Kevin Dawson II said.

The main reason people say the areas are different is the pace of things.

"You don't have a lot of the crime. You don't have a lot of the traffic. You just don't have a lot of the negative stuff going on," Dawson said.

 Shatera Griffin moved to south Bibb County four years ago and she said something similar.

"I'm from there. It's cool over there. But it's peaceful over here," she said

Teresa Davis has been in the area for more than 30 years, but she still feels a connection to Macon.

"We're kind of down here away from it, but yeah, we're part of Macon. I go to a lot of places in Macon," she said.

For some, like Christian Campbell, who's lived in South Bibb all her life, there's no specific reason. She says the connection to the city just seems right.

"I'm not really sure. I just feel like it's all Macon to me," Campbell said.

Several other people we spoke to weren't comfortable being on camera. The main consensus with them was pretty split.

During a concert in Cincinnati Sunday night, Aldean addressed the uproar.

"Here's one thing I feel. I feel like everybody's entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to. It doesn't mean it's true," Aldean said. "I know a lot of you guys grew up like I did. You kind of have the same values, the same principles I have."

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