From TikTok to signing with Kesha, Boy Throb say they’re for real – and serious about a US visa

The screams of hundreds of fans waving glowing pink orbs grew louder as one member of Boy Throb appeared on stage at Irving Plaza in New York City earlier this month. Singer Darshan Magdum wasn’t there in person – he was calling from India while his visa application to enter the United States remained in limbo. With his face projected across a large screen on stage as he spoke through Zoom, he told the crowd: “I’m so sad that I can’t be there with you all tonight.” “Hell yeah, Darshan!” someone yelled. At one point, chants of: “Visa! Visa! Visa!” rippled through the crowd. “When Darshan was on screen, I needed to, like, spiritually send him love,” said Kenzie, 30, who went to the show with a few of her friends. Magdum’s immigration journey has become a key part of Boy Throb’s lore, driving millions of viewers to their videos and in the process converting them into genuine fans. Dubbing themselves “the people’s boy band”, Boy Throb formed last fall, choosing their name from fan suggestions and posting their rise on TikTok. The other members are Evan Papier, Anthony Key and Zachary Sobania, who all live in Los Angeles. Dressed in matching pink sweatsuits evocative of Amy Poehler’s “cool mom” character in Mean Girls, Boy Throb began posting videos explaining the dilemma of their fourth band member being stuck in India. Magdum submitted his application for an O-1 visa that’s designated for people with extraordinary abilities in December. Internet personalities have increasingly applied for the visa as social media has shifted the nature of fame in recent years. One of Boy Throb’s first goals was to reach a million followers to support his application. In early videos, Boy Throb sang covers of familiar pop hits, replacing lyrics to persuade the US government to approve Magdum’s visa. In one post, Boy Throb and some fans protested outside a local television station in Los Angeles, chanting: “Hey, hey, ho, ho, write about our Indian bro.” Within a month, they had a million…