It's more common than you think. Based on my dad's taste in music you'd think he was a socialist revolutionary. In reality he's a "not political" hardcore Trump voter. There's not an ounce of critical thinking to be found inside that brain.
I feel like pre-9/11 country had heavy influence from folk music. However, post-9/11 country got a lot more influence from current events and current world political climate. A redneck hiphop scene essentially (as hiphop has a long standing history of being vocal on social issues)
Country has always been about the old and the new, (mostly the old, I do acknowledge) it's more the changing political climate, and the uprising of "snap country". Nor to mention, country is TECHNICALLY easy to make, so a lot of people and corps with money just go for it these days.
Small venue concerts and privately owned radio stations aren't really a thing anymore. Those were the tools of a machine that kills fascists, if you know what I mean.
This is so true. I liked 90s country but after it became hyper-nationalist post-9/11 I couldn't stand it anymore. It wasn't like there weren't patriotic sounding songs before then but some of it was pseudo-countryfried rock and heavily subversive. There was this "fuck The Man" vibe in many songs. Still lots of breakup songs, longing songs, and the twangy equivalent of bubblegum pop - it wasn't all anti-establishment.
Then it became all Toby Keith drunk asshole bootlicking bullshit and I noped tf right out.
Got a friend that works at AmBev. Was telling me their profits went up because most the people outraged over the whole Bud Light thing just switched to other, more expensive AmBev brands. Yknow, because they're fucking idiots too angry to even check who owns the brand they drink.