After reaching one million TikTok followers, Boy Throb has gone viral and attracted major media attention. Now, the new boy band has another goal. It wants to bring its fourth member, Darshan Magdum, to the US.
At first, many followers thought Boy Throb was a satire project.
In their debut video, the group said they would win a Grammy. They wore matching pink tracksuits and danced while asking viewers to help them reach one million followers.
However, the self-styled “people’s boy band” was serious.
Within a month, Boy Throb reached its one-million-follower goal on TikTok. The group moved from meme-style videos and song parodies to coverage from Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan and the BBC.
The faces of Boy Throb
Four members now make up Boy Throb: Anthony Key, Evan Papier, Zachary Sobania and Darshan Magdum.
The members did not become an overnight sensation. Each had an online presence and years of experience with solo projects.
Key and Papier first connected after separately auditioning for American Idol in 2021. They bonded over the experience and stayed in contact.
The pair later met Magdum online. They soon discovered a strong musical connection.
Sobania joined the group several months later. The Berklee College of Music alumnus brought bass vocals that completed the band’s sound, according to Teen Vogue.
“It’s very tough when you’re just trying to get your music out there,” Key told Teen Vogue. “Sometimes, if you really want to make it, sometimes you’re better together.”
Three members now live together in Los Angeles. Magdum, however, remains in India while the group continues its work in the US.
Chasing a dream across continents
Darshan Magdum’s location has become one of Boy Throb’s biggest challenges.
While his bandmates rehearse and create content in Los Angeles, Magdum remains in India as he works through the US visa process.
The O-1 visa is available to people who can show extraordinary ability in areas such as the arts. Applicants must provide extensive evidence of their achievements and recognition.
For a rising musician, meeting those requirements can be difficult.
Boy Throb has shared parts of Magdum’s visa journey on social media. The group says its immigration lawyer advised them to build a strong public profile.
Press coverage, audience support and original music can all help demonstrate an artist’s growing recognition.
The group has followed that strategy while continuing to build its audience.
For Magdum, the visa means more than simply entering the US.
“It isn’t just a document for me – it represents a real chance to keep growing and sharing my music with the fans who’ve supported me from day one,” he told Teen Vogue.
The group has also released its K-pop-inspired single, “Finger”. The track has already attracted hundreds of thousands of streams.
Boy Throb’s first live performance and need for more streams
Boy Throb recently secured its first live performance at a retirement home in Los Angeles.
The group treated the show as an important milestone. Its members wore their signature pink velour tracksuits and yellow trainers.
They performed cover songs and their debut original track, “Finger”, for the residents.
Magdum could not attend in person. Instead, he joined the performance through a laptop placed on stage.
The band has also asked fans to stream “Finger” and support its push for a record deal.
Boy Throb currently funds its activities independently. Its members also continue to work outside music.
Papier teaches vocal lessons. Key drives for Uber, while Sobania is studying law.
The group has even turned its financial struggles into part of its online content. In one video, the members joked that they were running out of money.
Despite the challenges, Boy Throb continues to build momentum.
Every stream helps the group attract a larger audience. More attention could also strengthen Magdum’s case for a US visa.
For now, the band remains focused on its music, its growing fanbase and its goal of becoming a full-time group.
And for Boy Throb, bringing its fourth member to the US remains an important part of that dream.
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