Simon Cowell’s new boyband December 10 sparks outrage with ‘ragebait’ BTS shade ahead of debut: ‘Short-sighted marketing strategy’

When it comes to boy bands, BTS is the first name that springs to mind. Since One Direction, the South Korean group has set the gold standard for success and inspired countless rising acts. But Simon Cowell’s new boyband, December 10, appears to be taking a very different approach. A recently surfaced clip has gone viral, seemingly throwing shade at the K-pop giants.

What we know about Simon Cowell’s upcoming boy group

Simon Cowell’s latest venture, December 10, is a fresh seven-member boy band introduced through the Netflix documentary Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which premiered on December 10, 2025. The series follows Cowell as he searches for the next global pop phenomenon, and the group — Cruz, Danny, Josh, Seán, Nicolas, John, and Hendrik, aged 16 to 19 — was selected from months of auditions across the UK and Ireland.

Simon Cowell’s new seven-member boy band, December 10, unveiled on Netflix’s The Next Act | Credit: Reddit

Already signed to Universal Music, the band hasn’t released original tracks yet, but fans are buzzing with anticipation. Their name pays homage to the docuseries’ release date, and while comparisons to One Direction are inevitable given Cowell’s history, December 10 looks ready to forge its own path in the boyband world.

Boygroup sparks outrage with alleged BTS’ shade

The new Simon Cowell boygroup has already sparked backlash from BTS fans. In one viral clip, a member of December 10 says, “If BTS can sell Wembley Stadium in flipping 5 minutes, we can sell the flipping Pluto in five minutes.” Many fans slammed the comment as either straight-up ragebaiting or sheer delusion. Others have pointed out the obvious BTS comparison because the group has seven members, whereas most international boy bands typically keep their lineup under five.

Fans call it a poor marketing strategy

One fan wrote, “Let’s ignore them. Very poor rage bait promo strategy to get their names trending on Twitter.” “I mean… the ragebait is a bit funny to me because I just know these boys are going to be cringe af. But let’s just ignore them hahaha,” another user said.

“This is such shortsighted marketing. “Like if they become successful, this clip will follow them for the rest of their careers,” one mentioned. “I think they’re using rage bait tactics to direct attention to themselves,” added another.

Simon Cowell’s another attempt at recreating the One Direction success?

Cowell made pop culture history in 2010 when, alongside guest judge Nicole Scherzinger on the UK’s X Factor, he grouped five solo contestants—Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne—into a boy band after they were eliminated individually. That decision gave birth to One Direction, launching them to iconic global success and forever changing the modern boy band landscape.

Cowell launched One Direction in 2010 | Credit: x/@TheBuzzingPop

However, things haven’t always gone smoothly since. One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 following Zayn Malik’s shocking departure in 2015, and Cowell reportedly had a falling out with the group along the way. While One Direction was undeniably a massive success, Cowell’s other attempts at launching boy bands have largely flopped, and with December 10, he appears to be giving it one more shot.

Meanwhile, December 10 will release their first music video on December 15.