Aarcflick

Will we ever see the band reunite? Yes, of course! And on Netflix too, judging by the premiere of his new documentary, Simon Cowell: The Next Act. The six-part series, which premieres today, is apparently about Cowell's search for a new boy band. "There aren't any good ones left," Cowell posits in the opening minutes. K-pop is a phenomenon now, and no one has filled the cultural void left by One Direction. Cowell has seen an opportunity—hence the hefty payout!—to fill that void. So we're supposed to watch him audition promising young talents, assemble the best possible lineup, and aim for number one. Sound familiar? We could call it the ex-factor. Back to the initial idea: there are no more boy bands. A curious sentiment. K-pop is undoubtedly at its peak in terms of popularity in the West. But it's hard to argue that this contradicts the popularity of boy bands: even my dad knows who BTS are (bad example: he's a big fan). And in the UK, they obviously exis...