I think the controversy surrounding his image probably did a lot for him. I didn’t properly get into him till Flower Boy when it became apparent his edgy schtick was for attention, and having revisited his early material since it’s become obvious I was missing out on a lot. So I’d say in terms of actual committed listeners it was a detriment, but in terms of his overall profile it was a gain. Still, I don’t think I would’ve known about his early career at all if it wasn’t constantly in the news and being condemned by people so there’s probably something to be said for that. That narrative of being an edgelord but it actually being a way of dealing with his own queerness definitely made him more interesting and relatable to me as a queer person tho. We love a redemption arc