The Big Picture

  • Billie Eilish's acting debut in Swarm is a brilliant meta moment that adds depth to the show's meaning.
  • Swarm fearlessly critiques modern fan culture and parasocial relationships with captivating intent.
  • Eilish's impressive performance in Swarm proves her talent, challenging notions of singer-to-actor transitions.

Billie Eilish has come a long way since her first single, "Ocean Eyes," swept us away in 2015. At just 22 years old, she's one of the world's top recording artists, with 25 Grammy nominations and 9 wins under her belt. This year alone, Eilish further solidified her spot in the film world with her contribution to Barbie. "What Was I Made For?" is much more than a mere accompaniment to a soundtrack. The single, from Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, perfectly encapsulated Barbie's themes in a tear-jerking rendition that's garnered worldwide acclaim (and even an Oscar nomination). Now, the acting world has given her flowers. With Eilish winning TV Performance of the Year at the 2024 People's Choice Awards, it's time to watch (or rewatch) Swarm.

Swarm TV Poster
Swarm
Comedy
Drama
Thriller
Release Date
March 17, 2023
Creator
Donald Glover, Janine Nabers
Cast
Dominique Fishback , Chloe Bailey , Nirine S. Brown , Karen Rodriguez
Seasons
1

What Is Prime Video's 'Swarm' About?

Swarm, a comedic thriller from the genius pair of Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, is packed with bold choices, one of which is the inclusion of Eilish in her acting debut. Especially before her People's Choice win, it would be understandable if the news of Eilish's inclusion was met with hesitation. The success of singer-to-actor stints has varied so widely over the years, but trust that the choices of Glover and Nabers are made with a clear vision. It's fair to be weary of stunt casting, but this is so much more than that. By the time Swarm reaches Eilish's debut in its fourth episode, it has well-earned the right to pull any stunt it pleases. Enter Billie Eilish, making for a brilliant meta moment.

"This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional." The first words plastered across the screen in Prime Video's satirical thriller series by Glover and Nabers are just as fearlessly uninhibited as the modern fan culture that Swarm places under a microscope. The parasocial relationship between fan and star has never seen an indictment of this caliber. Swarm's take on the phenomenon is just as critical as it is captivating, and every moment is delicately crafted with specific intent.

Swarm follows Andrea "Dre" Greene (Dominique Fishback) during her lonely, trauma-fueled journey to find her place in a passion-driven world. Her outright obsession and borderline worship of pop star Ni'Jah (Nirine S. Brown) has set her off on an odyssey of carnage that seemingly no force can obstruct. Ni'Jah, glaringly evoking the aesthetic and status of Beyoncé, boasts a sea of cutthroat followers known as "The Swarm" — much like the "Bey Hive," the moniker of Beyoncé's fan base. As Dre walks along her uncertain path, no transgression demands swifter punishment than an insult, or even a snide remark, toward Ni'Jah. By the time Billie Eilish arrives midway through the season, not even her beaming, gentle charm can settle the buzz of violence within Dre.

'Swarm' Made the Right Call Casting Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish smiles at Dominique Fishback in 'Swarm'
Image via Prime Video

Stunt casting is when a production takes a player from one industry (usually a widely-known star) and casts them in another. It comes in many forms — the Broadway musical Chicago is notorious for hiring anyone, from reality television stars to game show hosts for its long-running New York production. Sometimes an "influencer" of social media fame scores a Netflix gig and audiences can't help but wince, and sometimes Olivia Colman closes her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards by marveling with admiration that she'd been nominated alongside Lady Gaga. Football star Marshawn Lynch in Bottoms, for example, was also more than stunt casting.

With Swarm, you could call it stunt casting to place Billie Eilish in the role of Eva, the soft-spoken leader of a women's empowerment cult, but you could also call it the first of what will surely be many opportunities for Eilish to spread her wide wings of talent. Her billing lasts for one episode only, but not a moment of it is wasted. Dre finds her way bounding toward Bonnaroo to catch her idol Ni'Jah in person. By the grace of the writers' dour cleverness, Dre is taken in by a group of women that simultaneously mirror her concerning devotion and contrast her selfless focus.

Opposite Eva, Dre seems to momentarily meet her match. Eva challenges her outward aspects, correcting the manner in which she responds to minor conversations, and she digs deep through her walls, drawing out a level of honesty that Dre would never have given up freely. The penultimate confrontation between Dre and Eva, though devoid of the show's signature blood and terror, presents one of the show's most tense, weighted sequences. Accompanied by the unrelenting power of Dominique Fishback's performance, Eilish delivers a soft, entrancing cadence that draws the audience in as effectively as it does Dre. The careful nuance she manages would have been impressive for any actor, superstar or otherwise.

Billie Eilish Understands the Intensity of Fame

The singer-songwriter superstar, born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, grew up in Los Angeles, California. She began writing songs at 13 years old, with her brother and collaborator Finneas, and in only a few short years, has grown from a homeschooled talent to a worldwide mega-icon. With multiple Billboard Top 10 hits, nine Grammy wins, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song under her belt, Eilish has garnered a passionate, loyal following. Idolizing Eilish for her relatable candor surrounding her music, style, body image, and relationships, the self-titled "Billie Eilish Army" projects a level of devotion not entirely dissimilar to Swarm's Ni'Jah, sans the violent dramatization.

Related
‘Swarm’ Ending Explained: What Really Happens to Dre?
True acceptance is in the mind.

In January 2023, Billie Eilish: Live at the O2 hit theaters across the world for a limited one-day event. Billed as an immersive concert experience, showcasing the entire performance of Eilish's "Happier Than Ever Tour" at London's O2 Arena, the screening sold out cinemas all over. At face value, it wasn't a wholly new idea, as organizations like Fathom Events have been putting on concert screenings for years. However, with Live at the O2, theaters were hit with a brand-new kind of beast. Social media was quickly hit with firsthand accounts of attendees' experiences. Instagram, Twitter, and especially TikTok saw a widely mixed array of differing viewpoints, with a viral majority conveying a chaotic, unhinged environment.

The performance itself was one of high caliber bravado, skillfully shot and brimming with life. The social feeds told tales of young fans rushing toward the screens, screaming over the sound systems, and forming makeshift adolescent mosh-pits. In some cases, cinema staff paused the show to issue warnings or even ended screenings altogether. Case studies could be made (or at the very least a docuseries) dissecting the event as a rare breed of 21st-century entertainment. Nevertheless, it can actually serve as a prime example of why Swarm made the right call.

Billie Eilish's Stardom Adds Depth to 'Swarm's Meaning

Swarm is centered around consumption. The moments between the bouts of violence and obsession are often punctuated by literal gluttonous feeding, mirroring the insatiable needs of fandom. "Stan corrected," reads the tagline of one of Swarm's promotional posters. "Stan" is the rather recently adopted term for overzealous fans of celebrities. It's fitting, though, that the term for a fan should require an evolution, for fandom itself has seen an evolution. By casting Eilish, we are forced to be blatantly aware of what stardom truly entails beyond Swarm's narrative. The entire episode with Eilish becomes a multi-layered meta-depiction of fame and all that it consumes.

Swarm is available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.

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