Sunday night’s VMAs unfolded with glitz, glamour and bling while the top awards went to some of the usual suspects, including Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. But underneath it all were subtle messages worth decoding. Here are just a few:

1. Country music is no longer an afterthought

The VMAs have been somewhat distantly acquainted with country music, even as the genre has shown signs of surpassing hip-hop in popularity. Last year, two country albums from pop artists, Beyoncé’s "Cowboy Carter" and Post Malone’s "F1-Trillion," reached No. 1 on Billboard’s album charts but earned only a few nods from the VMAs. This year, the VMAs introduced their first-ever category for Best Country — 41 years after the awards show’s launch.

In fairness, MTV was never about country. Born of early-80’s synth-p

See Full Page