Brad Paisley's "Accidental Racist" was written deliberately to hit a nerve. The country music star said that he knew the song, which he recorded with rapper/actor LL Cool J, would be controversial, and that's exactly how he intended it to be.

The song was aimed to address the persistent racial prejudice in the U.S., with Brad singing as the white man from the South and LL as the black man from New York. Those who have heard the song aren't sure whether it was supposed to dispel the issue by talking about it unabashedly or simply explain the situation, but the general consensus is that it failed to hit its goal.

The song is styled as a conversation of a Confederate flag-wearing white man and gold chain-wearing black man in a Starbucks. Both addressing the invisible elephant in the room as Brad sings the lyrics:

"I'm just a white man coming to you from the Southland. Trying to understand what it's like not to be proud of where I'm from but not everything we've done. And it ain't like you and me to rewrite history. Our generation didn't start this nation. We're still picking up the pieces, walking over eggshells, fighting over yesterday and caught between southern pride and southern blame."

The song follows with LL's reply: "Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood what the world is really like when you're living in the hood. Just because my pants are saggin' doesn't mean I'm up to no good. You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would. Now my chains are gold, but I'm still misunderstood.

"I guess we're both guilty of judging the cover, not the book. I'd love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air. But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn't there."

As expected, the song got people talking on social media. Online commenters criticised the singers for missing the mark on the sensitive issue. Although many agree that they raise valid points and they have good intention, the song, which wasn't aimed to be racist, was ironically perceived as such.

Gawker.com likened it to "some kind of 11th-grade AP U.S. History project," while The Guardian thought that the country and hip-hop collaboration is a "horrible accident."

Some online commenters simply hated the melody of the song.

The attention given on the song wasn't unexpected, but Brad maintains that it "isn't a stunt."

"This isn't something that I just came up with just to be sort of shocking or anything like that. I knew it would be, but I'm sort of doing it in spite of that, really.

"I just think art has a responsibility to lead the way, and I don't know the answers, but I feel like asking the question is the first step, and we're asking the question in a big way," he continued to Entertainment Weekly. "How do I show my Southern pride? What is offensive to you?"

LL also defended the song, calling it a "bold statement."

"Music is about, and art is about, connecting different people, and building bridges, and breaking the rules," he told CNN. "If it's not compelling, and it's not complex and it's not interesting, then what are we doing it for? So I think that's the right move."

"Accidental Racist" is from Brad's "Wheelhouse" album, which is out on Tuesday.