Simon's Cryin'

I confess that I despise Simon Cowell and everything he stands for.

In my opinion, the English producer and reality TV mogul bears personal responsibility for ruining pop music.

Through his TV shows The X Factor and American Idol, he has managed to infect the public with his taste for pusillanimous pop.

I can't think of one artist from either show who is remotely interesting.

When your top-of-the-line model after more than a decade of star-searching is Kelly Clarkson, you're doing something wrong.

We used to expect power and passion from musicians, but he has tamed them.

Defanged them.

Declawed them.

Worst of all, he has neutered them.

Now we expect every single new artist to sound like an American Idol finalist.

For goodness' sake, Taylor Swift sounds like she came off a talent show.

ENOUGH ALREADY: Far from deserving thumbs up, Cowell should be shamed for serving up bland, cookie-cutter acts. It's no wonder the One Direction guys can't wait to go solo. PHOTO: AFP

Cowell's entertainment company Syco is responsible for foisting one mediocrity after another upon music fans.

Little Mix. Leona Lewis. Fifth Harmony. Cher Lloyd. Il Divo. Olly Murs.

His biggest act is of course One Direction, a boy band we have to hear about all the time because young girls want to do unspeakable things to them.

One Direction went on hiatus a while back, and it is looking more and more like a permanent split.

Almost all of them have managed to sign solo deals with record companies that have nothing to do with Cowell.

Zayn Malik has already enjoyed huge success with RCA.

Harry Styles signed with Columbia Records for US$80 million (S$109 million).

Liam Payne and Niall Horan have also landed megabuck deals with Capitol and Universal respectively.

Of course, Cowell just had to be bitchy and bitter about it.

"I'm getting the hint that you don't want me to come to the party," he said in a recent interview.

"Sorry for making you famous."

I suspect the reason Cowell works mostly with inexperienced unknowns is that they're all he can handle.

An established artist, a true talent, wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Now we'll see what Styles and friends can really do.