The Viral Band Trying to Sing Its Way to a U.S. Visa
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What is Boy Throb and why is it going viral?
There's a new boy band that's going viral on social media. They're called Boythrob.
Boythrob debuted on TikTok in November.
Their vibe is lighthearted, and the boys are often decked out in a set of pink velour tracksuits. Think NSYNC meets K-pop, but on a smaller budget. There are four members, Evan Papir, Anthony Key, Zachary Sabania, and Darshan Magdoom.
I'm Darshan. I'm stuck in India.
This is one thing that really makes the band stand out. While three of the boy throbs dance in sunny California, the fourth one, Darshan, is pasted into their videos using a green screen. Because he's in Mumbai, in India.
We feel incomplete without Darshan.
Who is Darshan Magdum and what challenges does he face?
Our immigration lawyer told us we need one million followers in order for Darshan to be given a visa so he can sing and dance with us on U.S. soil.
We'd really love to meet him. Will you help bring him to America by following us?
To make their musical dreams come true, the band wants to get Darshan to the U.S. But for that, he needs a visa. And so they started singing about it. Here's our colleague Michelle Hackman, who covers immigration and, these days, boy bands.
So this video comes out and like three people almost instantaneously text me this Instagram reel because I guess it's like peak Michelle content. Like it's really on the nose for me. And they're singing about the O-1 visa.
Yeah.
Which is like kind of a deep cut visa. It's not even the one that like most people know. And it's very accurate.
A petition's been submitted and is awaiting its review. USCIS will adjudicate in 15 business days. Adjudicate means formal judgment. We hope it goes our way. For someone who's like a huge immigration nerd, I was like, what? To schedule this can take a month. So while we wait, we sing. And if all this goes according to plan, I'll be here in the spring. I will be in America soon. Straight boy drop.
But actually getting Darshan stateside is not that simple, because Boithraab needs to earn one big fan, the U.S. government. Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Monday, February 16th. We've got a lighter listen for the holiday weekend. Coming up on the show, Boy Throb's quest to bring Darshan to the U.S.
This is the journey.
Boythrob has its roots in a not-so-happy story of rejection that started with Evan Papier. I sat down with him and the rest of Boythrob last week.
So I'm Evan Papier. I am from Rockville, Maryland. I am 23 years young and been doing music my whole life. I did American Idol back in season 20. I was not happy with my experience, to say the least. Needed someone to vent to.
Evan didn't make the cut, so he reached out to another former American Idol hopeful, Anthony Key, on social media.
Hi, I'm Anthony Key, and I am from Valparaiso, Indiana.
Anthony had auditioned with a song by Korean boy band BTS. And he also got rejected.
We both were like looking for a fast forward in our careers of what to do next. And then we just started talking about music and we just started the idea of maybe we should make a group together.
Anthony, when Evan told you his idea, what was your first thought?
I'm like, maybe I should. Maybe we should start a group together. Maybe this is that yes and thing. Maybe, you know, I think we're, you know, great artists on our own, but imagine what we could do coming together.
Evan and Anthony started looking for other singers to collaborate with. And Zachary Sabania kept popping up on their social feeds.
I grew up in Minnesota. I have a background playing guitar. Like, I went to Berkeley for guitar.
Aren't you in law school, too?
Yeah, I am.
You sound a lot less excited about that.
Yeah, I mean, I feel like doing music is a more natural path for me.
Zach had that low voice that we were really looking for to balance out all the different vocal parts of the group.
Zach was on board. Now, the band just needed a fourth member, a countertenor, to round out the quartet.
And then they find this guy, Darshan, who lives in India. He's in Mumbai. Hi, I'm Darshan Magdo and I'm currently in India and I'm trying to show my boyband in America.
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