Simon Cowell’s new boyband, December 10, was formed on Netflix’s Simon Cowell: The Next Act and is already being compared to One Direction. Like 1D, the group was built from solo singers brought together by Cowell. December 10 has seven members: Nicolas, Josh, Danny, Hendrik, John, Seán, and Cruz, all chosen from the 16 finalists.
They were selected after months of auditions and training. The group signed a record deal with Universal Music in the series finale. The band’s name comes from the day they were officially revealed, that is, December 10.
Cowell is no stranger to this kind of success. He helped (all thanks to Nicole Scherzinger) form One Direction on The X Factor UK in 2010. The members Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik were eliminated as solo acts. The group went on to become one of the biggest boy bands of all time, selling millions of records worldwide before going on hiatus in 2016 (Zayn left in 2015).
Yet creating that level of cultural impact in today’s music landscape is no easy task, as K-pop is dominating the music industry. December 10 is still in the early setup and is already raising doubts among many fans.
Simon Cowell’s New Boyband Announced New Music, Gets Slammed
Credits: Image by Flickr, liscened under CC BY 2.0 Via Wikimedia Commons
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Credits: Image by Flickr, liscened under CC BY 2.0 Via Wikimedia Commons
The six-episode Netflix series follows Cowell’s ambitious search for a new boy band. After the show premiered, December 10 began teasing studio sessions and “new music soon” posts on Instagram. Members shared photos from recording studios, hinting that their debut single is in progress (CapitalFM UK).
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However, fans were not impressed by the lack of an immediate release. When Simon Cowell: The Next Act dropped on Netflix, no original music was released alongside it. The band also had no clear social media presence, making them hard to find online. Well, they had to hide it to prevent leaking before the show. But on The X-Factor shows, the finalists usually record before the finale, and the winner releases new music on the finale episode.
One Reddit post reflected the frustration and the strategic failures of the show. It criticised Cowell’s overwhelming screen presence and even compared it to the K-pop talent agency Hybe. Other fans also voiced their frustration with not having a single launch:
Simon Cowell: The Next Act
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Some fans also pointed out that searching “December 10 band” leads to another group with the same name.
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Well, that’s a coincidence. Compared to One Direction’s fast launch after The X Factor, many feel this rollout has stalled early momentum.
Simon Cowell Opened Up About Liam Payne’s Death on The Next Act
Liam Payne in Teardrops Music Video | Credit: YouTube/@LiamPayneOfficial
On his show, Cowell addresses the death of Liam Payne. The singer died on October 16, 2024, after his fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne, a One Direction member, was discovered by Cowell on The X Factor in 2008 and then in 2010. Cameras captured Cowell six days after the incident. Cowell said (via USA Today),
It’s hard, you know? When I call his mum and dad, and just thinkin,g ‘God how do you cope with that?’
Cowell described Payne as “a sweet, humble boy” who “always had a sparkle in his eye,” and “everyone adored him.” He added,
You just don’t know how you feel about someone until you lose them, you know? And whoa. We’re just going to miss him – genuinely miss him.
The loss led him to rethink the pressure young artists face. He later spoke to December 10 and their parents about fame, privacy, and mental health. The episode ended with a tribute to Payne.
December 10 has talent, backing, and Simon Cowell’s experience. One Direction was “the greatest team that the world has ever seen,” but can December 10 repeat History? Until the music drops, the answer remains open.
Do you think December 10 can become the next One Direction, or has the moment passed? Let us know in the comments.
Simon Cowell: The Next Act is available to stream on Netflix (US).
