A large sense of this complexity in the genre derives from the original sources of country, and how it has expanded through the decades in a way that is very similar to how metal became hardcore, scrams, grunge, etc. All of this music spans from culture and aesthetic, and morphs into another identity within the culture of country music. These subgenres would be dark/gothic country, country rock, country folk, old country, alternative country, and more. Alternative country specifically as a genre is somewhat of a nothing burger of vagueness, because the alternative definition just means something aside and different from the streamlined and popularly consumed music. This specific genre is important because it contains stylized music which can overlap with other genres but exists within its own space.