Kriti Mehrotra
While Simon Cowell needs no introduction, considering he has been behind some of the biggest names in the music industry over the past few decades, he hasn’t helped establish a new artist in a while. Therefore, recognizing there is an open space for an English boy band in the market — especially after One Direction — to compete with K-pop groups, the record executive decided to build one from the ground up. That’s precisely what Netflix’s ‘Simon Cowell: The Next Act’ documents, all the while shining a light on some of the newest and hottest potential solo superstars of the future, like Jake G and Sam Meyer.
Jake G. is Wholly Dedicated to His Craft
When Jake G was just a young boy growing up in Southern England, he developed a passion for music and singing, but his initial performances were mainly inside his bathroom. In fact, it wasn’t until he received genuine compliments, encouragement, and positive feedback from loved ones as he grew older that he realized his innate talent, which led him to give it a real shot. He thus auditioned for Simon Cowell at the age of 16 and was 17 when he made it to the Top 16 boot camp in Miami, Florida, only for it to turn everything upside down for him in the best possible way.
Jake candidly told Netflix’s Tudum that the entire process “was a huge chance for me to showcase myself to the music industry. It was a rare occasion to see an audition process like this happening.” He was admittedly determined to be in a band because he believed it would be an excellent opportunity to professionally pursue his passion while also having fun with some friends his age, but Simon thought otherwise. He eliminated the youngster at the end of boot camp, not because of issues with star quality, talent, or work ethic, but because he saw the teenager as a great solo artist – he didn’t want him in a boy band.
Since then, Jake has evidently dedicated every moment of his time to his craft, garnering experience and expanding his reach through social media. He consistently posts snippets of himself covering a wide range of songs as well as genres, all in the hopes of highlighting his unwavering love for music, his range, and his abilities. Whether it be 5 Seconds of Summer, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Goo Goo Dolls, Justin Bieber, Linkin Park, One Direction, Olivia Dean, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Somer, Teddy Swims, or Tom Odell, amongst others, the London-based dog dad covers them all.
Sam Meyer is Paving His Own Path as an Artist
Although Sam’s first love was and always will be musical theater, he knew he also wanted to create his own music by the time he was a teenager, which is why he auditioned for Simon Cowell. The then-17-year-old had “decided literally the night before that I wanted to audition and that I couldn’t let the opportunity pass,” unaware that it would end up giving him “the biggest confidence boost.” Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the final cut in Miami because the record executive did not see him as a boy band member or someone who needed that extra push. Since then, Sam has returned to his base of Northern England, graduated from the Manchester College of Performing Arts (in 2024), and found his space as an independent artist.
In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, he revealed that he is deeply inspired by the way Harry Styles navigated his solo career, adding that he plans to follow in his footsteps by continuing to perform and create original music. The now-19-year-old added, “I have learnt so much about myself as a person and as an artist (in the past couple of years, thanks to ‘The Next Act’), and I knew this was a chance to get my name out there.” Regarding Sam’s personal life, from what we can gather, he is currently in a happy, healthy relationship with a 19-year-old fellow Manchester-based dancer named Olivia Streeter. They have been together since March 2023. The pair even went on their first holiday to Turkey in 2024.
Read More: How Much Do America’s Got Talent Judges Make? What Are Their Salaries?
