BTS ARMY express anger towards Simon Cowell's statement of 'NO megastar boyband since 1D in over 14 years'

    It's not the first time that the West avoids and does not accept that BTS has gone on to achieve things that even English-speaking bands could not achieve.

    Simon Cowell on One Direction; BTS

    Simon Cowell on One Direction; BTS

    While One Direction (1D), formed on 'The X Factor UK' in 2010 by Simon Cowell — though Nicole Scherzinger had a large hand in assembling them — had millions of fans, it has now been nearly 14 years since they came together and nine since they last released music as a group. Cowell, in his new statement, has said that he is searching for the next 1D; however, his statement has not sat well with BTS fans, called ARMY.

    It's not the first time, and it seems like it won't be the last time, that the West avoids and does not accept that the seven men from South Korea — Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jung-kook — from a group called Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), have gone on to achieve things that even English-speaking bands could not achieve.

    Cowell in his statement said, "Every generation deserves a megastar boyband, and I don't think there has been one to have the success of One Direction in over 14 years. The industry tends to focus on solo artists – so it usually takes someone from outside to put a group together". However, ARMY is questioning if he has forgotten about BTS, the group that broke boundaries and has achieved success on their own merit. ARMY can't help but state that the need to have a "white" boy band to show they are megastars should be wiped out.

    ARMY took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to show their anger against Simon Cowell's statement calling him racist and wanting him to respect BTS more. 

    Simon Cowell's new boy band audition:

    Auditions for the new band will begin next month in Newcastle, Dublin, Liverpool, and London. Besides One Direction, Cowell also played a significant role in forming successful girl groups like 'Little Mix' and 'Fifth Harmony', as well as the less successful boy bands 'CNCO' and 'PrettyMuch', both of which have since disbanded. 

    Where is BTS currently?

    Currently, the seven members of BTS are serving their mandatory military duty and have promised ARMY an anticipated reunion by June 2025. The eldest member Jin will be released from his duty within a week while J-hope will also be coming back this year as well.

    Suga is working as a social service worker after having shoulder surgery, while Jin and J-Hope are drill instructors in different military training camps. V has been assigned to the ROK II Corps, and RM is stationed at the 15th Infantry Division. Meanwhile, Jimin and Jungkook have enlisted in the 5th Infantry Division.