Well, I dunno. BTS at least has some substance. There is like a whole story line going on not visible at the first glance if you don't go deeper into their music and videos. There's even time travel involved. I think they are all around artists, it is not just about music.
Well the fans might be cringefest, but without them BTS would not be here today and neither would Hybe.
Certainly. It's not just music, it's a whole entertainment experience. I can appreciate that. What's less impressive to me is the shameless cultivation and exploitation of parasocial relationships. There are absolutely tens of thousands of BTS fans, at least, for whom there is no space for healthy personal relationships with human beings. They act possessive and devotional about these strangers they'll never know personally; they craft entirely new realities in their minds, and this behaviour is not only tolerated but actively encouraged and exploited. It's good for business. That part sickens me a bit about it.
There are fandoms, and then there are cults, and then there are global hordes of obsessed followers, literally calling themselves ARMY, ready to throw themselves or their rivals off a cliff to prove their devotion to Yoon-gi.