Boys World
Over the past couple of years, social media platforms have become fertile grounds for young, undiscovered talents. So, it isn’t at all surprising nowadays to see new musical artists emerge from YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, and then harness the reach and power of these apps and sites to promote their work.
Case in point: Boys World—a new pop girl group that boasts “ultimate girl-next-door vibes, undeniable vocals, choreography, and infectious friendships.” Each of the band’s five members started out posting song covers on YouTube. Their talents piqued the interest of company KYN Entertainment’s directors, who in turn, reached out to the girls through Instagram.
Finally, in January last year, Elana Caceres, 18, Olivia Ruby, 20, Queenie Mae, 19, Lillian Kay, 19, and Makhyli, 18, introduced themselves as Boys (best of yourself) World through a dance video on TikTok. And since then the girls have been steadily gaining ground—and streams—with their energetic, R&B-laden bops.
Boys World recently released its debut EP “While You Were Out,” which is a “musical embodiment of the band’s overall spirit; a mix of sounds and personalities for everyone.” Tracks included are the lead single “Girlfriends,” the empowering anthem “Wingman,” the vulnerable and emotional “Relapse” and the uplifting “Touched by an Angel.”
Meanwhile, the band’s most recent single, “All Me,” is all about self-love and determination.
The girls, who are housed together in Los Angeles, come from different backgrounds (Queenie is of Filipino descent; Makhyli, African American; Elana, Puerto Rican). And this, in a way, translates to the message they hope to convey. Aside from music, these young singers also hope to use their platform to speak out on social issues, promote female empowerment, inclusivity and authenticity.
Excerpts from our group Zoom interview organized by Amplified Entertainment.
Can you tell us about your EP “While You Were Out” and some of the songs in it?
Queenie (Q): “Relapse” was the first demo we got from our team and it’s our baby. It’s a power ballad about being in a toxic relationship and just going back and forth. People in that kind of situation will really relate to it. “Touched by an Angel” is about knowing your worth. The whole EP is an emotional cycle.
Is the EP a balance of songs about love and girl power?
Q: It came together naturally. It’s not like we said, “We need both types of songs.” We care about women empowerment and things that are relatable like love, relationships and family. We will have a lot of room for growth, exploring and adventure [in our next projects]. We’re excited to venture out to other themes.
What was it like shooting music videos amid a pandemic?
Elana (E): We’re just so blessed and passionate about what we do. We tried to be really safe while we were recording and shooting. Our team was very collaborative about what we wanted to do, from styling to choreography. We’re proud of that.
You’re trying to do more dancing.
Makhyli (M): That’s another aspect we want to incorporate. Singing is a form of expression and so is dance. And it’s fun seeing the fans do the dance after us or do dance covers. It’s is a huge thing for us because it shows our connection, energy and friendship.
How do you settle artistic differences if any?
M: We always try to hear each other out. It’s not always a yes or a no or a definite answer [when we have discussions]. It’s about asking how each other feels, collaboration and compromise. But somehow we just get each other on an artistic or musical level.
What are your thoughts on writing your own songs?
Olivia (O): It’s a process. We’re constantly learning. Some of us have written songs before, while some are more interested in vocal production. It’s constant creative teamwork. We’re still new in the industry, so we’re trying to be like sponges and learn as much as possible.
Was it difficult being creative given our situation?
O: We all had to go through it together, navigating this new space, trying to understand how to still create content within a pandemic. Working together has brought us closer together while we were filming and recording because we all get to talk to each other after a long day and bounce off each other’s energy.
What do you think of TikTok and how do you use it to your advantage?
Q: It gives us relatability. I feel like back then, you weren’t really able to relate with artists you’re fan of. This platform gives us the opportunity to do that … to show that we’re relatable and fun.
M: It’s just so handy-dandy. The algorithm, especially, I feel like it takes things that are fun and creative and throws them at us. We’re grateful that TikTok liked us enough and let people see what we’re doing. It helped our friendship and allowed us to share our different aesthetics. So we have people saying, “I’m this one … I’m that one.”
E: Now that we’re in a pandemic, everyone’s on their phones. That’s what kids do these days. And not just even kids but adults as well. People saw that there’s a new girl group coming. From there we started growing our fan base.
What do you love about being in the group?
O: That I have someone to talk to. I was homeschooled until my senior year and didn’t have a lot of friends. I was alone until I finally had these four best friends who have made my life better.
Inspiring people is one of the group’s goals.
E: They wanted real girls who were authentic, kind and genuine. That was the most important thing. They had to be relatable and compassionate. And it came together naturally because we’re all that way ever since.
M: If we don’t speak up change will never happen. We make sure we say something because what’s the point of being in a world that has the same problems every day and not doing everything to fix them. We have a purpose and a platform.
What are your thoughts on the “Stop Asian Hate” movement.
Q: I know of people, especially the elders, who have experienced this. It’s not something new, but just being shed light on now—same thing with the Black Lives Matter movement. We’re trying to educate ourselves and speak up about things that are going on in our society.
How important is inclusivity and representation?
E: I was the only Spanish girl in class for many years. And there were times when I thought, ‘Maybe I should look like them, or be like them. So being part of a group that’s diverse … that’s great.
O: It’s great if a little girl can look up to this group of friends, and see that they’re all different but still get along together. And there’s also this stigma that girls don’t get along, so girls supporting girls is such a great message.
There are other girl groups out there. What do you have to offer?
M: We have so many different flavors. And they’re not just about how we look, but who we are. We sing, dance, talk about social issues and are relatable. I think that’s what’s cool about us. We also take inspiration from other girl bands who are killing it and we support them. INQ