Serving female empowerment, Elana Caceres, Olivia Ruby, Queenie Mae, Lillian Kay, and Makhyli make up the eclectic group that is known as Boys World.
Their first single and sophomore single, “Girlfriends” and “Wingman,” have generated almost 5 million streams in just a few months since their debut in October 2020 and earned the group praise from fans and critics alike.
Boys World represents the future of pop music with a wink to the past, as well as by keeping their music strong and their friendship even stronger.
We caught up with Boys World to talk about all things music, support systems, staying positive, and their fanbase.
Living together with your best friends really is as cool as it sounds. “Every day is a new adventure!” says Queenie excitedly. Anyone with siblings will understand the feeling of having them walk into your room uninvited just to show you a new trick and then leave — without closing the door, of course. “They were all in my room today because I just moved in there. I finally have my own room. We all do. It’s so nice because you always have a friend you can bother,” Elana explained.
From friendships that have lasted for a few days, a few months to even years, there’s never a day that goes by where Olivia, Queenie, Elana, Lillian, and Makhyli do not learn something new about each other, even while living under the same roof.
“Even when it comes to some questions in interviews, some people might answer and then some people might not know that’s what someone has been through,” mentions Queenie. “So I feel like we are finding out more about each other.”
“I feel like I’m learning more about myself!” Makhyli says.
People are slowly but surely being introduced to the talent that is Boys World, and Olivia describes their overall package as “a mix of Pop, R&B, and a mix of all of our favorite artists. We all have very different musical tastes, but somehow we all come together and we know what the Boys World sound is.”
As well as their sound, Makhyli also added that another factor is “energy.” She says, “It’s just high energy too when you hear us.” For anyone starting off in any industry, there is a level of expectation. Has being a part of the music industry been what the group expected so far? “I’m going to say yes and no,” says Queenie. “Only because the no part is that I didn’t know what we were capable of until our team was telling us about the people that wanted to reach out to us.”
“There’s always room to grow, as we learn something new every day,” states Olivia.
“We’re soaking it all up. As we say, we are sponges,” Elana adds. “It’s 24/7. We’re working, but it doesn’t feel like we’re working a lot of the time because we’re doing what we love. We’re all genuinely so close and we have a great team.”
Even if touring is not a possibility just yet, one way that we are being graced by the music of Boys World is through the power of social media, especially TikTok. Social media has “formed a big part of our fan base,” Queenie started off by saying. “We wouldn’t have our fans [or STARS as the girls like to call them] without the viral videos we had on TikTok. I also think it’s a part of us too because people can go so viral on TikTok but not know how to communicate with the people they interact with. That’s why I think we did so well with the fans that stay with us. I feel like there’s a community now more than just fans.”
Makhyli revealed, “Before we announced that we were a group, we were on social media as five friends making music in LA. So I think they just resonated with us on a personal level before we did the music, and they saw that we were besties.”
Individually, each member of the group has their own musical influences that they take inspiration from, but when they come together, an eclectic mix forms Boys World’s sound. Just like anyone, the music they grew up with helped shape them as people and as artists.
“If it wasn’t for our different taste in music, we wouldn’t know what we would have wanted from Boys World. We will get demos from our team and we will know whether it’s for us or not,” explains Queenie.
Elana also added, “Ninety percent of the time, we’re so in sync as it is, probably because we know each other so well. We’ll know when something’s a Boys World product and know when to put our vocals on it!
Speaking of being in sync, it also came as no surprise to anyone that they all showed up in color-coordinating blue for our interview!
For any artist to find their sound, this can take some time. Having previously mentioned how it felt like some soul searching had to be done in order to be the artists they wanted to become, the music that the group grew up listening to played a part in that.
“I’m finding my style; I feel like I’m getting it together. It’s the growth for me,” Makhyli says. “There’s always room for growth in every aspect,” Queenie explains. “But I do feel like where I am right now is at a great point in my life, with the group, with the girls, with god. My mentality is the healthiest it has been right now.”
With it being Women’s History Month and in honor of the achievements of women all around the world, Boys World dropped their latest single, “Tiptoe,” written by Tayla Pax and her team, who has written for the likes of Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Normani.
Before this, their previous release was “Wingman” and that was where the reception for the song was “personally unexpected” for Olivia. “I didn’t know [the fans] would react this well it’s been crazy.”
“‘Wingman’ was the first song we ever wrote as a group and to top it off, we were all wearing costumes!” says Olivia. “Makhyli got a little prom dress from Goodwill. She had to be tied and we had to untie her because she couldn’t fit into the booth. It was really fun.”
“We had the song for almost two years,” Queenie adds. “It’s been a long process, from going back and forth to being what it is now. We are so proud of ourselves with the music video too.”
“With the song ‘Girlfriends,’ it was about girl power, which is what we always loved,” Makhyli adds. “With ‘Wingman,’ we showed that you can be independent too.”
Along with creating music that they can be proud of, the girls of Boys World are still enjoying artists that they’re fans of and which music they’ve been blasting in their own ears.
“For me, it’s Tayla Parx’s album Coping Mechanisms,” explains Olivia. “That album came out last year, but for some reason, it is hitting different. The whole album has been on repeat.”
“For me, it’s Christian Leave. He just came out with a new song and I’ve been loving it recently,” says Lillian.
Queenie adds, “I was listening to Imagine Dragons one day and then Rico Nasty the day after. It’s just very different.”
“I have a whole playlist, it’s called ‘My Feel Cool Playlist,'” Elana says.”Also, I’ve been listening to Drake, Frank Ocean, and Jorja Smith.
“For me, I’ve been listening to quite specific playlists. There’s one called ‘Punch you in the face and pick up your teeth after.’ If I’m in a certain mood, I’ll blast it,” adds Makhyli.
It took a DM on Instagram for the girls to be brought together. “We took the chance! It’s very weird to get a DM like that, but we all had weird stores about it,” says Lillian. “It was shocking but exciting for all of us. It was the universe telling us something.”
“Nothing in me said, maybe I should wait,” mentioned Elana. “Nothing in me said no.”
“I was going to be asked to be in a different group,” revealed Makhyli. “And I said no because, for some reason, this called my name!”
For Lillian, there was no specific moment that made her realize music was a path worth taking. “I don’t think there was a certain time for me. I think it was always just there. I love music.”
“It was when I got the DM,” said Queenie. “Before that, I feel like, throughout all of high school, I manifested being in LA, but I never had a clue as to what I would be doing.”
Photo: Lindsay Ellary / Press
Unlike Queenie, for Elana, it wasn’t getting the DM. It was “hearing myself on a record for the first time and going to the studio. Once I heard myself, I was like wow, I really love this. It was when I said I’m going to do this.”
“Mine would have to be when I was 8.5, and I said to my mom that I needed to do this,” explains Makhyli. “I was like, ‘don’t talk to me about college, I want to be on tour.’ As we said, everyone manifested it in their own way.”
It is not only music, though, that inspires them. The five girls find inspiration in each other when it comes to staying creative.
“I feel like everything inspires me, especially when it comes to writing songs,” Olivia states, adding that Elana “inspires all of my songwriting lately.”
“She will literally come to me and be like, I wrote this song about you,” adds Elana. “It’s because we tell each other everything!”
“We’re constantly taking inspiration from each other,” says Lillian.
“I think fashion is a big part of my creativity,” explains Queenie. “I feel like I can let myself show so much with fashion.” Makhyli then adds that inspiration for her “comes in different ways too. Sometimes it comes from working out, or sometimes it can be fashion.”
As we’ve all witnessed over the past year, life does have its ups and downs. Time can be tough, but even a little piece of advice from friends, family, or any inspirational figures can go such a long way to changing your mindset.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of Oprah and Maya Angelou. Those are my two ladies,” said Olivia.
“My mom gives me great advice every single day. One of these days I need to tell her to write down all of it so I can have it forever,” Elana says passionately. “She told me that you can’t dwell on things that make you so upset because throughout the whole day you’ll have the same negative energy and you really have to be more positive.”
The word BOYS is an anagram for “Best of yourself,” which is an important message to live by. But when there are times where the girls may not be feeling 100%, it can take the simplest of things to lift the mood. “For me, it’s watching Colleen Ballinger’s vlogs as I find them very comforting,” says Lillian.
As well as the small things in life that many of us turn to for comfort, having a good support system is definitely important. “We’re also so supportive of each other. It’s hard for me to talk to someone my age, maybe because they might be at college and it’s really hard to relate,” Elana mentions. “We have all experienced this together so it’s really nice being able to share this experience.”
“I definitely think it is important because we have each other, but we also need an outside source,” explains Queenie. “All of us have that, whether it’s a boyfriend, mom, a dad. We all have someone and we’re all so grateful to have at least one person to be there for us. Not to necessarily have input, but just to listen. Having at least one person is so important.”
“Sometimes it can get hard to relate to a girl group. People want to know what it’s like,” adds Makyhli. “I don’t know how to help them with their issues, but it’s still cool to vent and get it all out.”
When it comes to Boys World, we don’t just get music. We get positivity that is emitted through the group’s music, creativity with the music videos, passion, and aesthetics when it comes to their outfits. These are a few great factors to portray as artists.
“Sometimes life can give you good things, but it will also smack you around a little,” states Olivia. “So it’s good to have a positive mindset and be optimistic.”
“She’s very optimistic, so I learn a lot from that fairy over there,” adds Makhyli.
Keeping positive is the first step for the girls, as they have some plans in store for their fans, even if they can’t reveal much just yet. As a group, they all agreed that meeting fans and going on tour were some of their hopes for the future. “Also getting to hug them,” Olivia says. “The Zoom meetings with the fans are not enough!”
“I want bracelets when fans give you them at meet and greets. And their artwork!” adds Makhyli.
“I feel like our fans are a big part of where we are today, so I feel like every time we get asked a question like that, meeting our fans is our number one priority,” explains Queenie. “We love them so much and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
“We’re just reciprocating the love!”
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