Jason Aldean
As Chappell Roan prepares to release her highly-anticipated new song “The Giver,” she’s assured fans that this doesn’t mean her pop music is a thing of the past.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Roan confirmed earlier week that her new single – the first since the release of 2024’s “Good Luck, Babe!” – would arrive on Thursday, March 13, with the fresh track inspired by her lifelong exposure to country music.
“I have such a special place in my heart for country music,” she wrote on Instagram. “I grew up listening to it every morning and afternoon on my school bus and had it swirling around me at bon fires, grocery stores and karaoke bars.”
Trending on Billboard
“Many people have asked if this means I’m making a country album???” the Missouri native continued “My answer is.. hmm right now I’m just making songs that make me feel happy and fun and The Giver is my take on c–try xoxo may the classic country divas lead their genre, I am just here to twirl and do a little gay yodel for yall.”
Now, the Grammy-winning musician will be appearing on the March 14 episode of Apple Music’s Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen, with E! News sharing a new teaser clip that sees Roan expound upon her love of the country genre.
“I wanted to write a country song because I just thought it would be funny,” she explained succinctly. “It’s campy and fun.
“I’m from southwest Missouri,” she continued. “[I] grew up on Christian and country, and then found ‘Alejandro’ by Lady Gaga and I was like, ‘I think I like this, too.’ So, I have kept country in my heart. And it’s so incredibly nostalgic to drive in West Hollywood and have Jason Aldean [playing] or Alan Jackson’s ‘Chattahoochee.’”
According to Roan, one of the biggest inspirations for her pivot to the world of country came by way of Tennessee duo Big & Rich and their Grammy-nominated 2004 single “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).”
“I was like, ‘I want to feel that way on stage. I want to feel that,’” she explained. “Because that’s how I write. I’m like, ‘How do I want to walk around on stage and sing?’ And I was like, ‘I want to write that song, but Chappell’s version.’”
In keeping with her previous comments about the decision to venture into the world of country music, Roan also again assured fans they’ll be hearing plenty of the pop music they’re used to moving forward. “I really just did it for fun,” she added. “I’m not switching genres or anything.”
The imminent arrival of “The Giver” will mark Roan’s first release since “Good Luck, Babe!,” which she dropped in April last year. The track — which remains the only song she’s released since breakthrough 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September.
Roan has been teasing the arrival of “The Giver” for weeks, rolling out a series of characters — a lawyer, a plumber, a private investigator, and now, a construction worker — who can “get the job done” à la the lyrics on the track, which she debuted on Saturday Night Live in November. Fans have spotted the alter egos on billboards all around the country, as well as on Roan’s Instagram.
All of the personas correlate to different special versions of 7-inch single vinyls for “The Giver,” which are available for purchase on Roan’s website.
Country star Jason Aldean turned up the political heat at his recent concert in Nashville on July 13, dedicating his controversial hit “Try That in a Small Town” to former president Donald Trump.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The singer, who has long been a vocal Trump supporter, took his admiration to new heights during the performance.
In a TikTok video shared by user @susanelizabethphoto, the “Dirt Road Anthem” singer is heard saying, “What happened in Pittsburgh today with our former president, Mr. Trump, you guys know about this, right?
Trending on Billboard
“President Trump’s a friend of mine so I want to send this next song out to him. We all know what’s going to happen come November, so it’s all good.” He continued, “Just goes to show you there’s a lot of bullshit in the world, and that’s kind of what this song right here was about, so this one goes out to the pres.”
Aldean also shared his support via Instagram, “This is what a warrior looks like! This is MY guy,” sharing the famous photo of a bloodied Trump raising his fist in defiance.
“Donald Trump, we are thinking about you and praying for you and your family. God has a bigger plan for you, my friend, and I think we all know what that is by now.” He also extended his condolences to the families of the victims affected by the incident, calling it a “cowardly act.”
The dedication aligns with Aldean’s ongoing support for Trump. He and his wife Brittany have been fixtures at Trump events and recently promoted merchandise supporting Trump’s campaign.
Aldean wasn’t the only musician to rally behind Trump following the apparent assassination attempt. Kid Rock posted a fiery video on social media, declaring, “You f— with Trump, you f— with me,” and shared a link to a GoFundMe page for the victims of the shooting, which has raised over $2 million.
“Try That in a Small Town” has been at the center of heated debate since its release, with critics arguing the lyrics promote vigilantism and contain racial undertones.
Aldean has consistently defended the song, maintaining it celebrates small-town community values.
The controversy surrounding the track, however, has not hindered its success; the song rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Aldean’s first leader on the chart. It generated major buzz after CMT pulled its video after some labelled it as pro-gun, pro-violence and akin to a “modern lynching song”.
“Try That in a Small Town” also topped the Digital Song Sales chart and vaulted up the Streaming Songs chart, and topped Google’s 2023 Trending Musicians list, with “Try That in a Small Town” leading song searches.
Watch Jason Aldean dedicate “Try That in a Small Town” to Donald Trump in Nashville below.
Cardi B got even with a concertgoer who tossed a drink at her during the rapper’s performance in Las Vegas on Saturday. Kelly Clarkson kicked off her 10-day residency last week and hilariously reacted to being called a fan’s hall pass. Jason Aldean’s controversial track, “Try That in A Small Town” has reached No. 1 […]
Brittany Aldean’s Balenciaga merchandise is getting kicked to the curb.
The wife of country singer Jason Aldean took to Instagram on Wednesday to share her disdain for Balenciaga amid the fashion house’s controversial ad campaign that depicted children holding teddy bears wearing bondage gear and paperwork from a Supreme Court decision on child pornography.
Aldean uploaded a photo of herself taking out the garbage, which included two clear bags filled with Balenciaga items. “It’s trash day,” Aldean wrote, tagging the brand.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The post from Aldean garnered applause from her followers, including husband Jason. “Show em how to ‘walk the walk’ babe!” he wrote to his wife, alongside clapping emojis. Brittany also got support from some fellow country music wives, including Brittney Kelley, wife of Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley, who commented “Same”; HARDY’s wife Caleigh Ryan who wrote “YES HAHA”; and Russell Dickerson’s wife Kailey Dickerson, who said “Yes mama.”
The holiday campaign that launched on Nov. 16 received so much backlash that it prompted the fashion house to release a statement condemning child abuse. “It was never our intent to include it in our narrative,” the brand wrote on Instagram, with comments turned off. “The two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”
The photographer of the ad, Gabriele Galimberti, also issued a statement on Instagram, writing that he “was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither [choose] the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same.”
Balenciaga filed a $25 million lawsuit against North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins, accusing both parties of taking part in “inexplicable acts and omissions… malevolent or, at the very least, extraordinarily reckless” in the campaign.
While Aldean is receiving praise this time around, over the past few months, she’s stirred up some controversy of her own. The 34-year-old found herself in hot water when she took to Instagram in August, writing alongside a glam video, “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.”
She was called out by several musicians, including country superstar Maren Morris, for the transphobic comments. “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie,” Morris tweeted.
Morris was labeled a “lunatic” by Fox News host Tucker Carlson following the feud, and the country star ended up making and selling T-shirts with the phrase “Lunatic Country Music Person.” She donated the funds to the Trans Lifeline and the GLAAD Transgender Media Program, raising more than $150,000.
-
Pages