MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Boy Throb is an unconventional boy band. They have four members and one central problem.
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EVAN PAPIER: Evan.
ZACHARY SOBANIA: Zach.
ANTHONY KEY: Anthony.
DARSHAN MAGDUM: I'm Darshan. I'm stuck in India.
BOY THROB: (Singing) Boy Throb. Four boys, one bop.
KELLY: They've spent the last year establishing themselves while campaigning to get one member the visa he needs to join the other three in the U.S. This week, they made a big announcement on that front. NPR's Fio Geiran reports.
FIO GEIRAN, BYLINE: If you want to build a boy band, where do you start? Anthony Key says he and his co-founder looked to Instagram.
KEY: We came across Darshan, and we realized that, you know, he can hit high harmonies.
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MAGDUM: (Vocalizing).
I just, like, love hitting high notes.
GEIRAN: That's Darshan Magdum. He had been putting out covers from Mumbai, India, when he got an interesting DM.
MAGDUM: Saying, hey, Darshan, like, we are just doing something new. And at first, I was like, OK, this seems like something different.
GEIRAN: Boy Throb does operate somewhat differently from other bands because Magdum initially didn't have a visa to perform in the U.S. So he'd record and appear with them remotely.
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PAPIER: We're the world's next biggest boy band.
GEIRAN: In their TikToks, his head pops into the videos randomly...
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MAGDUM: Send this to 1 million people.
GEIRAN: ...Either to send a message about his immigration status...
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MAGDUM: We need 1 million followers for me to get a visa, so I can sing and dance in America.
GEIRAN: ...Or to hit a high note, wearing the band's signature hot pink tracksuit.
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BOY THROB: (Singing) California.
GEIRAN: The band educated their fans about the visa application process.
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BOY THROB: (Singing) Here's all that goes into a visa application.
GEIRAN: And they really leaned into the mission.
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KEY: Day 1 of dancing outside of the immigration office trying to get the fourth member of our boy band out of India and into America so we can win a Grammy.
JONATHAN GRODE: It's almost like the opposite of how it always happens.
GEIRAN: That's Boy Throb's immigration lawyer, Jonathan Grode. Because Boy Throb started getting popular on TikTok before they put out any original music, he says their visa application was different from what the government is used to seeing.
GRODE: They were changing the orientation of the way fame is formed and, in exchange, how extraordinary ability can be proven to the government.
GEIRAN: They needed to prove extraordinary ability to qualify for an O-1B work visa, which is designed specifically for artists and entertainers. Grode said he was eager to take on this case to push the boundaries of immigration law at a time when the law is being strictly enforced.
GRODE: This administration has one of the narrowest strike zones we've ever seen.
GEIRAN: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on Magdum's case. After Magdum's initial application, the government requested further evidence, but the band was undaunted by the setback.
GRODE: It only fueled them to work harder and show the government that they really are very serious about being musicians.
GEIRAN: USCIS wasn't their only skeptic. Cofounding band member Evan Papier has gotten used to people asking whether Boy Throb is a real band or an internet gag.
PAPIER: Two things can be true. We can be having fun and doing something different but also pursuing artists in this music industry.
GEIRAN: Evidence that they are real include four singles and a handful of sold-out shows.
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MAGDUM: Hello, everyone.
(CHEERING)
GEIRAN: At a concert in New York, Magdum joined over Zoom despite the time zone difference.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Visa, visa.
GEIRAN: The crowd chanted the word visa to show their love.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Visa, visa.
GEIRAN: Most of these fans found the band on TikTok, where they've amassed 1.3 million followers in less than 10 months. Anthony Key says they've pulled this off by playing the social media game.
KEY: All of a sudden, you see, you know, four guys in hot pink track suits. You're going to swipe back, and you're going to be like, wait, what was that?
KESHA: Obviously, I was captivated. Enchanted, some would say.
GEIRAN: One person who fell for the Throb - pop superstar Kesha.
KESHA: As someone who's kind of built a career on riding the line between seriousness and play, you know, game respects game. And, of course, if you know anything about Kesha Records over here, we love pink.
GEIRAN: She collaborated with Boy throb on their recent single "DJ Turn It Down," which was released on her record label.
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KESHA: (Singing) DJ turn it down, down, down, down, down, down, down.
MAGDUM: First time I got to know we are collabing with the Kesha, I was like, I - like, is this real?
GEIRAN: The big name collaboration came just in time from Magdum and Boy Throb. They were able to include this track in their official response to the government's request for further evidence.
MAGDUM: That really helped us, like, everything - the tour, the collab with Kesha - everything.
GEIRAN: And on Monday, the band made a big announcement.
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MAGDUM: I got the visa.
KEY: Oh, my God.
GEIRAN: Now that Magdum has his O-1B Visa, he plans to move to the U.S. in October. He will finally get to meet his bandmates and his devoted fans.
MAGDUM: I'm just, like, so excited for everything. I just want to meet every single person.
GEIRAN: He's also looking forward to touring with the band and finally hitting those high notes in person. Fio Geiran, NPR News.
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BOY THROB: (Singing) Can't stop the throb. Ooh, you can't stop, can't stop the throb. Ooh, you can't stop, can't stop the throb. Ooh, you can't stop, can't stop the throb. Ooh, you can't stop, can't stop the throb. Baby, got this feeling deep inside. Baby, and it ain't... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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