Wasted Potential
After nearly 5 years together, girl group Boys World announced that they were officially disbanding on July 5, 2024. This news left their fans across the world feeling heartbroken and confused. The phrase “they had so much potential” constantly came up in conversations surrounding the disbandment. And based on their announcement video, it was clear that this was a decision none of them wanted. So, what happened?
Well, the phrase is true. These five girls are not only incredibly talented wide-ranged vocalists, but they’re dancers and songwriters as well. They’re personable, dedicated, and passionate young women with their own sense of individuality. Their different aesthetics clashed perfectly with one another and overall, their group chemistry was unmatched. The complete package with so much potential to dominate the music industry.
In 2019, KYN Entertainment scouted young girls who uploaded song covers on social media and asked them if they would be interested in joining a girl group. An audition process in Los Angeles, CA followed this. They selected the girls based on talent but also on the way that they interacted with each other.
The final five chosen to be in the group were 18-year-old Olivia Ruby from Ohio, 18-year-old Queenie Villaluz from California, 17-year-old Lillian Kay from Idaho, 16-year-old Elana Caceres from New York, and 16-year-old Makhyli Simpson from Michigan.
The label moved the members into a home in Los Angeles where they’d undergo girl group boot camp to prepare for their musical debut. To anyone who wants to pursue music, this would sound like a genie just granted you three wishes.
They spent the majority of 2020 uploading covers, dance videos, vlogs, and hosting livestreams to help the group gain a following and build a fan base. There was a ton of anticipation built up by the time they released their first ever single, “Girlfriends,” on October 23, 2020. Their video went viral numerous times all over Instagram, X, and Tik Tok. People were thrilled and constantly claimed that Boys World was the “next big thing.”
Most of their traction came from Tik Tok, and while this was favorable initially, it didn’t stay that way. When asking former member, Olivia Ruby, what she wished was done differently regarding the group she stated, “I think we lacked good management and promotion. A lot of people thought we [Boys World] came off as a Tik Tok band.”
Their label relied heavily on Tik Tok as their main way of promoting their music. Although Tik Tok is easy and inexpensive, it also lacks the ability to leave a lasting impact.
Garnering a few thousand likes on the platform doesn’t automatically equate to mainstream success. This is an issue that many labels are falling accustomed to.
In an article on The Guardian, Shaad D'Souza said, “For years, acts such as Halsey and Florence Welch have complained about label expectations that they should use the platform [Tik Tok] to promote upcoming music. Other artists have suggested that labels are prone to holding songs hostage until they have enough TikTok buzz.”
It comes down to record labels valuing money more than their artists; Spending the least amount of money to make the highest profit. “While the artistry of an album can and should be highly valued, it doesn’t always make commercial sense,” said Eveline Beck in a Funktasy article. “There is more potential in making big bucks from a single track,” she added.
Boys World was a victim of this money-driven mindset. Despite being a group for five years, the girls only released a total of 12 singles and 2 EPs (extended plays). Their fans had been begging them to release an album for the past 2 years, and the girls even expressed their desire to eventually drop an album. However, it never happened.
Not only did they not get to release an album, but they also went long periods of time without releasing music in general. After a strong year of releases in 2021, Boys World only dropped one song titled, “SO WHAT,” in 2022; almost a year after their last single. Their comeback received lots of attention and earned them their highest debut with 80k Spotify streams on the first day. Yet, their label failed to capitalize on that success and didn’t release anything for another six months.
These mini hiatuses caused some of their fans and casual listeners to lose interest in the group. Olivia Ruby admits to this being one of the difficult parts of the industry for her. “Everyone wants to consume content at such a rapid rate; it definitely gets tiring as an artist. You constantly have to keep people engaged and keep things fresh,” Ruby said.
Another unfortunate aspect of signing to a record label is the profit that the artists make or lack thereof. In a Rolling Stone article, Lee Parsons, the CEO of Ditto Music said, “Most artists actually make a lot of money from streaming — but with a label, you’re only getting very little back of what you actually earn.”
Former Boys World member, Olivia Ruby cosigned this statement. She said, “Our only royalty check from songwriting was $55 each.” “We joked in the group chat and said it looks like we’re buying some ring pops tonight with this check,” she laughed.
Although Boys World’s journey was cut short, they still accomplished so much to be proud of. The girls performed at music festivals, sold out their own shows, received recognition from artists they look up to, and they even traveled to China where they got to be mentors and perform on a popular competition show called, “Show It All.” Ruby reminisced on being the proudest of receiving her first official songwriting credits with the group for their second EP, me, my girls & i. She looks back fondly on how that same EP was displayed on a billboard in the loud and busy streets of Time Square in New York City.
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