In my cover, I tried to capture the pop culture side of the Big Issue. I chose a story that was controversial, and that had been appearing on my social media feeds most prevalently during the past week.
Following the release of the Netflix show, 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act', questions were raised about the boy band that Cowell had formed in the show - in particular, his choice of name. At the end of the show, it is revealed that he had named the band "December 10".
When considering boy bands, one that comes to mind after One Direction is BTS - that is why Cowell's boy band has recently gained traction for "shading" BTS, saying, "If BTS can sell flipping Wembley stadium, we can sell the flipping Pluto in five minutes".
The Big Issue often focuses on issues like power imbalances in society. Simon Cowell represents Western, mainstream music power, whereas BTS are an untraditional, fan-driven phenomenon. This is not just pop drama — it’s a comment on Western media arrogance, cultural bias, and a resistance to globalisation in music. I think this is quite on brand for The Big Issue, as it frequently critiques mainstream institutions.
My cover brings about the big question: why is a big, globally successful group being talked down to? Well, BTS are often framed as outsiders, and are not taken seriously compared to Western acts. The Big Issue is known to champion those dismissed or misrepresented by powerful industries.
So, what I aimed to achieve in creating this cover (although the execution… is questionable!) is to align with The Big Issue’s socially aware, critical tone by using celebrity conflict to expose the deeper issues of power and inequality. However, next time I’d improve my execution as it just looks kind of tacky.
