Country music, like any genre, can have its share of controversy. Whether it’s the musician themself that is controversial or a particularly edgy song of theirs, drama can always happen in the country music industry. Let’s take a look at four of the most controversial country songs of the 21st century!
Note: This list is far from exhaustive. There are quite a few extremely controversial country songs out there that caused an uproar or two after the turn of the century. However, we think these four songs might have been forgotten by time to a degree and are worth a spot on this list.
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1. “Red Ragtop” by Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw is mostly known for producing stellar country tracks. However, the superstar—like most any superstar—has had his share of controversy. His debut single “Indian Outlaw” has not aged well at all. And the 2002 song “Red Ragtop” was similarly controversial for very different reasons. McGraw alluded to abortion in the song with the lyrics “We decided not to have a child / So we did what we did and we tried to forget / And we swore up and down there would be no regrets in the morning light.”
Surprisingly for 2002 radio stations, most were quite supportive of the lyrics and their implications. Others, however, pulled the song from their rotation. Eventually, the majority of radio stations that pulled the song put it back into their rotations. Country music has always been about the trials and tribulations of real life, after all.
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2.”Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves has always been an open supporter of the LGBTQ community. Still, the country music industry can be a mixed bag in terms of allyship. When she released “Follow Your Arrow” in 2013, quite a few feathers were ruffled on social media for the lyrics “Kiss lots of boys or kiss lots of girls / If that’s something you’re into.”
However, the song was a huge hit in general. Musgraves performed it at the 2013 CMA Awards; though a lyric about marijuana was humorously censored. The song hit no. 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart and remains a good listen.
3. “Accidental Racist” by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J
It’s obvious that this song was written with the best of intentions. It would be silly to deny that there have been racial tensions in the world of country music, and country star Brad Paisley and hip-hop star LL Cool J thought that they could tear down some long-standing barriers with “Accidental Racist” from 2013.
However, the song was controversial mainly because it was tone-deaf and really cringey. “If you don’t judge my gold chains / I’ll forget the iron chains” is just one lyric that listeners just couldn’t overlook.
4. “Try That In A Small Town” by Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean had a team of writers pen this 2023 song for him, and it still ended up as one of the more polarizing tracks of recent memory. Many consider this song’s lyrics to be racist, egregiously pro-gun, and anti-protest. The music video for the song was also considered one of the most controversial country music videos of the year. CMT even ended up pulling it from its rotation. Aldean doubled down and refused to apologize for it. The controversy surrounding “Try That In A Small Town” catapulted the song to the top of the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts.
Photo by Christopher Polk
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