If you haven’t heard of North Star Boys yet, you’ve probably seen them. This group is taking over the internet, starting with TikTok and moving into YouTube and now the music industry as the first Asian American content group. The seven-member group is bursting with talent, and with their individually unique personalities, it is not hard to see why they’re finding so much well-deserved success.
The members include brothers (and founders) Sebastian and Oliver Moy, as well as Regie Macalino, Ryan Nguyen, Justin Phan, Darren Liang, and Kane Ratan. They blew up via a viral TikTok showcasing each member’s energy, and from there, things took off at lightning speed.
@northstarboys Introducing the members #NSB ♬ STAY – The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Now, the group has amassed millions of followers and views across multiple platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, and built a loyal fanbase that rivals their content group predecessors’. And they’re nowhere near done!
North Star Boys are set to take over the galaxy and are hurtling toward their dreams like a fiery comet. Luckily, we got to catch the boys on their journey for a quick chat! NSB talks about fashion, their music, and so much more (plus a guest appearance from manager Tyler Bray).
Image Source: Courtesy of North Star Boys
Hi! Welcome to THP! Can you tell us how everyone joined the group? How did things come together?
Regie: Before North Star Boys, some of us basically met while playing video games. We never met in person before, so we planned a hang out together in the Dallas area. Ryan and Justin were already creating content on TikTok. When we all met, we filmed and posted a TikTok all walking out the door, but it went viral with like 25 million views.
Oliver: Sebastian and I saw this viral TikTok and reached out to the boys to meet up because Sebastian has always had this great idea of starting an Asian American content house. We all met up in Arizona a week or so later after the viral TikTok in Dallas, and the rest was history. All of us ended up tying up whatever loose ends we had in our lives at that moment and took the leap of faith and moved to LA to pursue North Star Boys full-time.
Sebastian, can you talk a bit about The Flighthouse and your start in social media? How did that boost your career and the trajectory of NSB as a whole?
Sebastian: Working with Flighthouse was great! They were super kind during filming shoots, and the opportunity opened a lot of doors for my future in the entertainment world.
You guys are pretty into fashion and art. We love both here at THP. Can you describe your style for us? Do you have any goals in the world of fashion that you’d like to accomplish?
Ryan: I’m very open to all types of style, I would describe most of my style as a soft boy. One of my goals is to just inspire people to wear what they want. A goal of mine is to book some really cool modeling gigs and be a brand ambassador for some brands.
Darren: I really like to experiment with my fashion style. I believe every person has a unique way of dressing. Therefore, my goal in the world of fashion would be for people to understand style is not about the price, but the comfortability of the person wearing the clothes. I would love to attend fashion shows someday, and be a brand ambassador for Dior and Gucci.
How do you guys approach content creation? What has been the most important ingredient in your success?
Oli: We all live together in Calabasas, which makes taking content easier. We also have an in-house media crew, Bae Merola and Angel Andres, that help us manage our content as a group. YouTube works really well for us, and we have a loyal following on it, so it was super important to get a full-time editor right off the bat so we could expand that content.
Seb: I have been passionate about media and social media since I was doing it as a kid. The thing I notice that helps the most is consistency. We have group meetings and brainstorming sessions to come up with creative and trending content ideas every Monday. We’re really meticulous with our schedule, which I am sure would come as a surprise to so many people! Everyone thinks social media is as easy as throwing up a post, but we have a whole method behind our structure. We have A Days, B Days, and C Days. On A Days, we create personal content for our individual pages and help each other out if anyone needs a fresh idea. On B Days, we do group YouTube and group TikTok content. C Days are a mix of both, but we usually shoot off-site and go on a field trip somewhere.
Did you guys grow up watching other iconic content groups on social media? What kind of inspiration did that give you, if so?
Kane: As a kid, watching content groups having fun together and living their best life was my escape from reality. I wanted to become them and be able to make content that people want to watch so they can have their little escape. They gave me the inspiration to know what I wanted to do for my future, and I knew this was my number one goal.
Justin: As a kid, I was watching Wong Fu Productions, and they gave me a lot of life lessons about the real world and shaped my morals and values.
Ryan: I grew up watching Ryan Higa and Kevjumba – their friend group if that counts, and The Sidemen. They inspired me to do what I want to do in life and not do the original route in life.
How does it feel to be the first Asian American content creation group?
Justin: We look at it as a privilege to be the first Asian American content group. We all aim to inspire others because we didn’t really see much Asian representation in the media when we were growing up. As the North Star Boys, we are focused on bringing together and cultivating the most influential, creative, and impactful Asian American creators to encourage more representation.
How did it feel to perform your first ever concert? You guys had so much energy!
Kane: First of all, to have our first concert ever be at the Roxy in West Hollywood was something we could only ever have dreamed about since it’s such an iconic venue. We were all pretty nervous but equally excited. Before the show, we spent hours practicing and rehearsing so that everything would run smoothly. No matter where we go and what we do, the feeling of our first concert and debut as a band is an experience we will never forget.
How did you guys decide to make the transition into music?
Oli: Music has always been a huge passion of mine. If you take a look at my notes app on my phone, I’ve written over 160 songs. I love writing my own music and use it as a creative way to express myself. When we came together as a group and started writing music together, I was inspired to finally start putting out our songs. As the North Star Boys, we aim to inspire others in all aspects of our careers, especially as we transition into the music industry.
Oliver, you wrote the group’s first song. Where did ‘you are my star’ come from? What was the inspiration behind the lyrics?
Oli: ‘you are my star’ is a song that I wrote for the Stars, our fans. The key message is that there is a star in everyone. We created this special community and want all our fans to remember how special each and every one of them is. This song was a fan track dedicated to them. We also had an opportunity with Front Row to turn the music video into NFTs and sell bundles to our fans so they could own a piece of that history.
And on that note, tell us about ‘SUNSHINE!’ Regie, what does it mean to you?
Regie: I was raised in the Philippines for half of my life, and it’s always been an interest of mine to try and incorporate my roots with music. In the music video for ‘SUNSHINE,’ it was a special moment for me and the boys to shine a light on the country I grew up in and inspire my fellow Filipino friends and followers to embrace our culture and not be afraid of being different.
What does ‘SUNSHINE’ mean to the other members as well?
Seb: When I listen to ‘SUNSHINE,’ it makes me think about this story of someone working hard and loving endlessly for their significant other.
Oli: My ‘SUNSHINE’ is the North Star Boys and Stars (our fans), it’s what gets me up in the morning. Without the Stars, I wouldn’t be where I am today, I’m forever grateful for this journey and all the memories that come along with it.
Darren: When I think about ‘SUNSHINE,’ it reminds me of a sunny summer day when I am going on a ride with my friends/girls.
Kane: ‘SUNSHINE’ to me means finding the light in this dark world. Realizing who is the light of your life and to stay and be grateful for the sunlight that we have. My sunshine is the stars, my family, and my friends. They keep me going every day, and my sunshine helps me see the path.
Ryan: My ‘SUNSHINE’ means the light to my day, like why I get up every morning and my motivation to do what I do.
Justin: My ‘SUNSHINE’ means my significant other that shines light on my world. My sunshine makes me look forward to life.
Can you tell us about the filming of the official ‘SUNSHINE’ music video? What went into that process?
Oli: I’ve put a lot of thought into what I want the music video for ‘SUNSHINE’ to be, from creating the map that Justin used, the shot list, and even the outfits for all the members.
Seb: We had an early morning shoot; it felt like we were going on a field trip. We had to wake up at 3 a.m. Filming went very smoothly, and we were so stoked to see the results. Angel and Bae really captured the vibe we were going for, which is also why it’s amazing having a full-time content crew that understands our vision.
Do any of you have a specific most memorable moment from filming ‘SUNSHINE?’ Any behind-the-scenes stories fans would love to hear about?
Oli: My favorite part about the making of the music video has to be performing on a bed of a truck. We were going about 25mph, and I remember almost losing balance a couple of times, so the members were holding my feet down as I stood up to perform on a moving car (kids, don’t try this at home!).
If you guys could describe each member in one word, what would it be?
Tyler (NSB manager): I would describe the boys as:
Sebastian – Tenacious
Oliver – Passionate
Darren – Rambunctious
Kane – Caring
Ryan – Leo
Regie – Unpredictable
Justin – Relatable
Lastly, where will we see NSB in the future? What’s your guys’ biggest dream for this group?
Seb: Our overarching goal is to do whatever we can to help create a more inclusive and inspiring path for Asian Americans in the media. Whether that is through content, music, or whatever project we are working on, that will always be something we aspire for. For NSB as a musical group, we have a lot of exciting things in the works. We definitely hope to drop our full album this year and have been refining all the songs we expect to have. Definitely see more live performances on our horizon and activations where we can connect and engage with our Stars.
Oli: Although our goal is to reach as many Stars as possible and to inspire other Asian Americans/minorities alike, my biggest dream for NSB is to continue to make great memories with great people. We are the first group to be doing what we’re doing at NSB. I aspire to create the blueprint for others to achieve what their dreams are.
Stream ‘SUNSHINE’ here!
Have you listened to ‘SUNSHINE’ yet? Check out the North Star Boys and let us know all your thoughts on Twitter @thehoneypop or in the comments below!
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