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.