One of the more prominent critics of Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ was fellow country artist Jason Isbell, known for his brilliant songwriting chops, his outspoken leftist politics, and his Twitter clapback game.

Isbell opted to take a shot at Aldean for defending a song he didn’t even write. “Dare Aldean to write his next single himself. That’s what we try in my small town,” Isbell tweeted. Then, “Ok here ya go @Jason_Aldean I’m challenging you to write a song yourself. All alone. If you’re a recording artist, make some art. I want to hear it.” And, “Seriously how do you defend the content of a song you weren’t even in the room for? You just got it from your producer. If you’d been there when it was written, you’d be listed as a writer. We all know how this works.”

That thread prompted another country singer, Jake Owen, to come to Aldean’s defense, claiming an attack on his legitimacy as a country artist was a low blow. The exchange started a discussion on the importance of writing one’s own songs, probably not the most necessary debate given the many issues raised by ‘Try That in a Small Town.’

Of course, you can look to Isbell’s music (all written by him) to know how he feels about racism, discrimination, violence, small town values, and plenty of other topics.

One popular comment in the ‘Try That in a Small Town’ discourse was to point out the irony that Jason Aldean was onstage during the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. You’d think a man who was so close to such unimaginable horror would think twice before advocating armed vigilantism.

To hear Jason Isbell’s thoughts on gun violence, have a listen to the song ‘Save the World’ on his most recent album, Weathervanes. It’s a thoughtful take on the hopelessness and helplessness so many of us feel every time we learn of a new mass shooting.