I agree with your point about the producers being talented and most times the driving force behind these hits.

What really isn't that clear with these songs, and I believe that's why so many people dislike them (altough they agree they sound catchy) is because the performer of the song isn't necesarilly the creative force behind the song; as it was proven with the video of how the song "Middle" came to be. The girl that sings the song actually played little part in the creative process, and is part of the song because of her voice and probably looks.

A good comparison could be with Hollywood movies. No one can argue that they are extremely produced and market focused; so, when you hear a song by Katy Perry or by <replace_with_trendy_name> is the performer a good actor or a good director, or both?