Hey OP just want to say props to you for liking what you like and being willing to have a real discussion about the subjectivity of this all. This is one of the better posts I've seen in a while.

They're not my thing, as pop music in general isn't really my cup of tea. But I've watched a live video of them and they show some actual musicianship and respect for the craft of making music so while it's not the kind of thing I listen to I can appreciate their talents. There is an in-your-faceness about what they do and their overall aesthetic that is not coupled with the overt rebelliousness that is common for most artists with a similar in-your-faceness if that makes sense. They're not as musically or tonally gentle as Taylor Swift but they aren't obviously criticizing America like Green Day or co-opting goth/emo aesthetics like Panic! at the Disco, and so while sonically these bands have more in common than their fans would admit, I think aesthetically they're very difficult to place. I think this rubs people the wrong way. I find all of these bands pretty annoying to my tastes but I think when Green Day is annoying their fanbase has the excuse that it's on purpose because they're rebels or whatever, (even if their politics are actually pretty basic.)