when i discovered angularjs i thought it was a revelation. finally i could write webapps without having to track UI state in the backend, only treat the backend like a database. all the UI logic was dramatically simplified. it went so far as making my backend so reusable that i don't have to do any backend coding at all anymore. creating a complex webapp is now as simple as writing a desktop client.
sure, i could do the same thing with a traditional fullstack framework. with discipline i would be able to keep frontend and backend code separate. but i have yet to work on a project where that is the case.
i don't build SPAs because the industry demands it. i build SPAs since before the industry even heard about it. and i build them because they make for a cleaner architecture and give me more flexibility than any fullstack framework would.