That's not what GP is talking about, though. I like the new .NET minimal APIs, but what GP is talking about is the frontend/backend _integration_ with a framework like Next.js.
Next isn't really like Angular in that you don't need an API layer (though you can have one if needed). It's more like ASP.NET Core MVC.
The difference is the frontend code is truly integrated with the backend. It all lives in the same project. It's just React components. You can render them statically on the server at build time, per request at runtime, or on the client. And you can mix and match. Next only ships the client the JavaScript it needs.
You don't need an API unless you want SPA parts of the app. Where you do want that, it's simple to implement, because you're already in JavaScript and all your other code plays nicely with it. It's a really nice way to organize and consolidate the different pieces of web dev IMO.
Next isn't really like Angular in that you don't need an API layer (though you can have one if needed). It's more like ASP.NET Core MVC.
The difference is the frontend code is truly integrated with the backend. It all lives in the same project. It's just React components. You can render them statically on the server at build time, per request at runtime, or on the client. And you can mix and match. Next only ships the client the JavaScript it needs.
You don't need an API unless you want SPA parts of the app. Where you do want that, it's simple to implement, because you're already in JavaScript and all your other code plays nicely with it. It's a really nice way to organize and consolidate the different pieces of web dev IMO.