It’s all about family.

At least, that’s what it’s like for singing sisters, The BoykinZ.

Amassing almost half a million followers across social media, The BoykinZ – Kylan, 21; Anale, 20; Nytere, 19; and Alona, 16 – found popularity online after posting clips of their singing on TikTok. Known as “the Black girls of country TikTok,” The BoykinZ are taking the world by storm while trying to keep their balance as girls, sisters and students.

Kylan Boykin, the group’s alto, is an online student with VSU and is pursuing her degree in Organizational Leadership. Her younger sisters attend online education with their respective universities and high school, as well.

“I try to remember why I’m doing this in the first place,” Kylan said. “I’m learning to build my case with school and not to give up on it. I’m hanging on, taking my time and enjoying the journey.”

Her sisters agree.

“The balance can be heavy sometimes,” Nytere, a Georgia State Biology major, said, “but there’s a purpose behind what we do.”

“Education is important,” Anale, a Georgia State Environmental Law major, said. “We’re each other’s teammates. We support each other to keep going when it gets tough and we help each other out.”

Kylan is earning her degree to become an executive producer.

“There’s already a lot in my career that already applies to my overall goal of working within the music and film industries,” she said. “I want to own my own film company one day.”

Nytere is studying to work with medicine.

“I’m studying to be a cardiovascular surgeon,” she said. “I want to work in medicine and help find cures.”

Anale is an environmentalist.

“I really want to help the planet in some sort of way,” she said. “It’s my lifestyle. It’s in the things I like to create, like recycling and upcycling fashion. It’s just part of my passion.”

The youngest member of the group, Alona, is still in high school, but her goals are just as big as her older sisters’. Along with her desire to continue pursuing the group’s singing career, Alona wants to be a positive light.

“I want to be an influence to young colored girls like me to have the drive to do whatever they believe and whatever they want to do in their lives,” she said. “I want to inspire other people to love themselves and do whatever they want.”

Nytere says the ultimate goal she and her sisters share is to inspire others to follow their dreams just as they did.

“Be that fan for yourself and go far,” she said. “Whatever support system you have, live in it and enjoy the journey with them.”

The BoykinZ have found their support system in each other and with their family.

Alisa Boykin, the girls’ mother, said they made the choice to pursue higher education as their career was booming all on their own.

“We are very proud of them,” Alisa said. “Something we instilled in them was education first. We are so glad that, as they continue to grow into young women, they are pursuing their education along with their career, and it was their choice. It makes us feel like we did a good job.”

The BoykinZ father, Lonnie Boykin, agrees with his wife’s sentiments, saying it is important that the girls pursue as much education as they can along with their growing music career.

This was the family’s first visit to VSU, and it is Kylan’s junior year. They were met by President Richard Carvajal outside of Palms Dining Hall before their tour began where he expressed what a joy it is to have such a powerhouse singer attending VSU.

Kylan was also able to meet Organizational Leadership Program Coordinator Keith Lee Jr., who welcomed her and her family to campus.

President Carvajal made the three remaining BoykinZ sisters honorary Blazers for the remainder of the day and wished them all luck in their continued pursuance of higher education.

You can find The BoykinZ on TikTok, @theboykinzzz, and Instagram, @theboykinz. For more information including calender dates, visit the band’s website,  https://theboykinz.com/about.

Written by Bailey Storey, Co-Editor-in-Chief. Photo courtesy of Bailey Storey.