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  • Swarm Crystallizes That Celebrities Are the New Gods, and There Is No Freedom of Speech When Speaking “Ill” of Them

    Swarm Crystallizes That Celebrities Are the New Gods, and There Is No Freedom of Speech When Speaking “Ill” of Them

    For as much talk as there is of late about how “terrible” and “harrowing” it is to be a celebrity, perhaps the worst fate in the present climate is being someone who “dares” to speak “ill” (a.k.a. point out certain flaws and hypocrisies in the work compared to the lifestyle) of a celebrity. With all the tools available at a fan’s disposal to “end” the person who says something they don’t like about their “god” in the twenty-first century, it truly has never been a scarier time for the mere expression of an opinion.

    Perhaps the biggest mistake one can make about Swarm is assuming it’s a satire. As though someone in a particularly “passionate” fanbase wouldn’t do something that unhinged. That someone, in this “fictional” case, being Andrea “Dre” Greene (Dominique Fishback). An “awkward, gawky” girl who, as it becomes immediately clear, has a very unhealthy relationship with her “bestie”/“sister” (Dre, we later find out, was adopted by Marissa’s parents), Marissa Jackson (Chloe Bailey, adding another meta element to the show for being Beyoncé’s protégée). The two “share” an apartment in Houston (meaning Marissa pays the rent, often by asking for supplemental support from her parents, who aren’t ware of Dre’s presence in her life…or, at least, they pretend not to be). Again, not a coincidence, considering Beyoncé hails from “H-Town.” Nor is it a coincidence that the show is called Swarm to echo the fanbase name of the Beyhive. Or that the show’s creator, Donald Glover, worked with Beyoncé on The Lion King, and that proximity to her perhaps gave a new level of insight into the obsessiveness her level of stardom encounters. Glover’s co-creator, Janine Nabers, also has plenty of experience in playing up the surreal nature of fandom, with a show like UnREAL also tapping into a form of celebrity culture (even if “reality star”-based) and how it “feeds” fans. Most of whom are looking to be fed because it fills some kind of void within them. A void everyone has to fill, one way or another.

    In Dre’s situation, worshipping Ni’Jah (Nirine S. Brown)—the obvious Beyoncé stand-in—and deluding herself into thinking she’s part of The Swarm “family” is a way to tell herself that she is loved, that she belongs to a “tribe.” Case in point, her insistence to Marissa, “They’re my friends.” Marissa has to remind, “They are not your friends. Those are some crazy-ass fans. They don’t give a fuck about you, you know that, right? It’s not real.” But it’s the “realest” thing Dre has in terms of a source of “community” and “common ground.” As a foster child, she was clearly cast out from her own original tribe early on, the sting of abandonment not quite as sweet as being part of the bees of Ni’Jah’s hive. Therefore being the one to sting instead of getting stung. The protective bubble of “love” that Ni’Jah fills Dre with is matched only by the one that Marissa fills her with (and yes, it’s as “big lesbian crush,” to quote Janis Ian, as it sounds). But, as far as Dre is concerned, their rapport is being poisoned by the presence of another one of Marissa’s new boyfriends, Khalid (Damson Idris). Who Dre freely watches fucking her sister without Marissa knowing. At first, when Khalid catches her, his reaction is creeped out before giving way to being slightly turned on as he performs with even more gusto.

    Later, he calls her out for being such an obvious virgin (nicknaming her “Cherry Pie”) as Marissa finds out that Dre is short on rent. A recurring theme that will come full-circle in the final episode in that Dre still “miraculously” finds a way to afford Ni’Jah concert tickets even when she can’t afford rent (this being the “magic” of a credit card). Notably, all episodes (except for number six) start out with, “This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional.” A tongue-in-cheek “disclaimer” from Glover and Nabers that becomes ultra-meta in episode six. The first episode, “Stung,” begins in April 2016, better known to the Beyhive as: the month that Beyoncé released Lemonade. Still her most acclaimed album to date. Viewers are also introduced to the loud buzzing sound they’ll become accustomed to hearing whenever some crazy behavior is about to ensue. This includes Dre applying for a Discover card and using it to buy $1,800 concert tickets for Ni’Jah, the obvious fictionalized version of Beyoncé described in a bio as: “Texas native Ni’Jah is no stranger to fame. After being discovered on talent competition Star Seek, she led 90s icon R&B group XLLENT. Her solo career began with smash hit ‘Love on a Cloud,’ which helped her debut solo album, Loveli Days, go double platinum.” Yes, it’s a familiar mirror of Bey’s own come-up story.

    We’re given further insight into how some forms of obsession are more acceptable than others in that having multiple article clippings and photos up on one’s wall is deemed “enthusiasm.” This barrage of mass media being what we see in Dre’s room. And yet, enthusiasm gives way to psychopathy when a person feels the need to bludgeon anyone who says something disparaging about Dre’s idol. The only other person she defends so violently is Marissa, who kills herself at the end of the first episode.

    In episode two, “Honey,” Dre finds herself further avenging (after already killing Khalid) Marissa’s death in Fayetteville, Tennessee. By this time, it’s August of 2017, and she’s working at a strip club called The Lure. It’s there that fellow stripper “Halsey” (real name: Hailey) is given life by Paris Jackson, playing up the “I’m Black” dialogue with perfect irony-drenched poise. But Dre—presently going by “Carmen”—has no place for new friends in her life, determined to kill Reggie a.k.a. Tonk (Atkins Estimond), the person who commented of Marissa’s death, “That nigga got what she deserved. Stupid AF.” This in response to someone else saying, “I heard she killed herself to Festival.” A Ni’Jah single from Evolution (a title not unlike Renaissance).

    When Dre confronts Reggie about another comment in which he says Ni’Jah could die and he wouldn’t miss one song of hers, he proves to be a salient example of the online troll who would never stand by his statements in real life out of shame (“I don’t remember sayin’ all that”—as though posting in a fugue state of arbitrary contempt that needs to be funneled into the vessel of a pop star. Dre is happy to remind, “But you did”). In what will prove to be one of many in a series of dumb luck instances that allows her to keep killing without being detected (what will later be called “fallin’ through the cracks”), she is aided in the murder of Tonk by her fellow strippers, who assume he’s trying to sexually assault her. In thanks, Dre leaves them in the lurch by driving away from the house and disappearing into her next new identity.

    Episode three, “Taste,” shows us a throwback clip of Marissa talking up Ni’Jah (“We gotta protect her at all costs”) before the title card prompts us with the place and time, “Seattle, Washington, December 2017.” Dre has broken into someone’s house and continues her running script of asking, “Who’s your favorite artist?” When the person in question answers “Lil Gibble,” Dre demands, “How many Grammys does Lil Gibble have?” “I don’t know.” “None. Ni’Jah has twenty-six.” This a clear allusion to Bey’s thirty-two. Indeed, Glover and Nabers are meticulous about their references, from Solange attacking Jay-Z in an elevator to Beyoncé getting bitten at a party where Sanaa Lathan was rumored to be the culprit (which will soon be heavily parodied in the episode).

    The next scene in “Taste” after Dre’s Grammy question finds her channeling Patrick Bateman as she mops up the blood to a Ni’Jah tune called “Agatha” that goes, “Avant-garde coochy/You been used to the civilians/Eat the peach right/We ain’t shoppin’ at Pavilions.” In the car she’s about to steal from her dead victim, Dre opens a phantom text from Marissa (she’s been keeping the ghost alive by texting herself from Marissa’s phone) that asks the size of Alice Dudley’s (Ashley Dougherty) casket for commenting of the Bey and Jay (recreated as Ni’Jah and Caché) elevator scene, “I thought you were a feminist and then you’re with this man.” But her plans to kill Alice at her gym (which she’s allowed access to via more dumb luck) are foiled by the sight of someone wearing a Caché tour jacket and a prominently displayed backstage pass attached to his person. This vision has her chasing a new butterfly altogether. Using him and preying on his vulnerabilities (food) to get what she wants—access to Caché’s tour after-party—eventually, viewers find that the episode is called “Taste” because Dre does end up tasting of the “forbidden fruit” that is Ni’Jah by literally biting her at said party.

    This fittingly leads into an episode called “Running Scared,” wherein we find Dre, appropriately, even more on the run than usual after Bitegate. Ironically, after news of the bite leaks, The Swarm finds her to be the greatest threat to Ni’Jah of all …instead of her, let’s say, “fiercest” defender. The time and location has jumped to April 2018 in Manchester, Tennessee. Where Bonnaroo famously takes place (this being a nod to Bey’s Coachella performance in 2018, branded “Beychella,” and rescheduled from her plans to headline in 2017). It’s also where Billie Eilish (who has a slightly less intense fanbase) makes her grand entrance as motherly Eva, a cult leader who takes “Kayla” under her wing, insisting she’s drawn to women with names similar-sounding to her own: “Kayla, Clarissa—” “Marissa?” Dre chimes in hopefully. Inside the too-good-to-be-true compound, the “tribe” (that’s actually the word Eva uses) offers to get her an artist pass into Bonnaroo, prompting Dre to open up about how she’s “friends” with Ni’Jah, but that the last time they saw each other, they had a “misunderstanding.” Eva and the others play along with whatever Dre wants to believe, with Eva knowing that she’ll soon get her under her spell through the wonders of hypnosis, leading Dre to confess not only her real name, but some of the murderous things she’s done.

    Despite the theoretical bond that such honesty might create between her and Eva, who kisses Dre to cinch the deal, it’s no match for Dre’s loyalty to Ni’Jah, for whom she will always literally kill for. Especially when she finds out the cult bitches were lying and they’ve had her head so inside out that she didn’t realize it was already Saturday. Ni’Jah’s headlining day. And lo and behold, no “artist pass” to allow her entry into the festival. After dealing with the cult (read: killing most of them) she gets in her stolen car and speeds to the venue. “Tragically,” it’s too late. The show is already over, forcing Dre to watch the streaming version of it while crying.

    It’s perhaps long before this point in the limited series that some might be wondering, “Why am I watching this if I feel absolutely no empathy for this character? That, in fact, they make me as murderous toward them as they are toward anyone who dislikes Ni’Jah?” Because, even with all the bids to render Dre as “winsome” with her sad background, societal ostracism, etc., one tends to feel as much bristling by being around her as anyone else in the series. And so, the answer to the aforementioned question lies in the reality that, despite being hard to watch, it’s nonetheless a study in the horror show that is celebrity worship syndrome. In Dre’s scenario, it’s the worst strain of it: borderline-pathological. A willingness to commit crimes “for” said celebrity. And, like most who are down the cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs rabbit hole, Dre can never see just how much of a bottom-feeding parasite she’s become in the process. For not only does she kill at the drop of a comment that rubs her the wrong way, she also attaches to any source that shows her enough of the right kind of affection.

    Affection she certainly never got in her foster home (apart from Marissa). We’re taken back to the trauma of this household in episode five, “Girl, Bye.” A teleplay, it seems worth noting, that was co-written by none other than Malia Obama (one will do their best to refrain from coughing the words “nepo baby”). Considering the Obamas’ well-documented love for Bey and Jay, it lends another spine-chilling uncanniness to the overall product and its meta nature. “Girl, Bye” jumps us forward in the timeline to May 2018 in Houston, Texas. At the mall trying to get Marissa’s phone turned back on, Dre clocks a poster for the Running Scared II poster (meant to allude to the On the Run II Tour that Jay-Z and Beyoncé embarked upon the same year). She’s spotted by Marissa’s former boss while salivating over the ad and obliged to have lunch with her in the food court, making up a story about how she met Ni’Jah and they’ve become really close.

    Dre is, obviously, more out of options than ever and feeling pushed to the edge because Marissa’s father, Harris (Leon a.k.a. the saint in the “Like A Prayer” video), is the one who disconnected Marissa’s phone. Which serves as one of Dre’s primary delusion lifelines. Thus, she goes back to the Jacksons’ house with the intention of threatening her former parents with a gun to get them to turn the phone on again. All she’s met with, however, is venomous rage that perhaps even transcends her own as Harris chases her out with a shotgun after pronouncing, “This is Texas. I’ll shoot your ass and have a beer over your dead body.”

    To layer on more meta cachet, Chloe x Halle’s “All I Ever Wanted” plays as Dre runs from Harris and finds herself in Marissa’s old room. Cast out of the house once again, Dre suffers anew from the pain of being unwanted. With only The Swarm to turn to online for something resembling “kinship.” The episode is humorously ended with Erykah Badu’s “Caint Use My Phone” (a riff on “Tyrone”) playing during the credits.

    Episode six, “Fallin’ Through the Cracks,” subsequently turns expectations upside down as it plays out like a true crime documentary that flashes ostensibly way forward into the future. One wherein Loretta Greene (Heather Simms), the Black female detective who linked all the murders Dre committed together, rehashes how she unearthed the killer behind all these cold cases through one glaring motive: Ni’Jah. Loretta notes of how no one put the pieces together for so long about Dre, “I’ve seen this before.” The director asks, “Seen what?” “Black women, fallin’ through the cracks.” To warp the meaning behind the previous disclaimer at the beginning of every episode, none of the same actors appear to play who are now the “real” people in the story, being played by “themselves.” Nabers and Glover prompt things to get meta once again at the end of the episode, when Glover is interviewed about his next project, based on Dre’s story, commenting “I’m directing this show that I’m working on right now with like, uh, Chloe and Damson and Dom Fishback. It’s in the works, it’s going well.”

    While “Fallin’ Through the Cracks” might have shown us “Tony’s” true fate (getting arrested for jumping onstage at a Ni’Jah concert), the final episode, given the fit-for-a-delusional-person title of “God Only Makes Happy Endings,” takes viewers to Glover’s beloved Atlanta in June of 2018. Here we’re given a sense of how Dre-as-Tony’s life briefly took a turn for the better before they finally surrendered to their Ni’Jah “protecting” methods again. For Tony meets Rashida Thompson (Kiersey Clemons), a college student who is surprisingly drawn to Dre. And has no idea how eerie it is for her to ask, after inviting Dre back to her house, “How are you so chill? You should be like a med student or a serial killer.” Alas, we’ll never know if Dre was a Pisces or a Virgo (these being the signs most closely aligned with serial killing). Probably the latter…you know, with its Beyoncé connection and all.

    In an interview with Elle before Lemonade’s release, Beyoncé stated, “I hope I can create art that helps people heal [for Dre, that “healing” comes in the form of mass murder]. Art that makes people feel proud of their struggle. Everyone experiences pain, but sometimes you need to be uncomfortable to transform.” Dre was uncomfortable and she did transform…into Tony (this name being an homage to Tony Soprano, as both he and Don Draper were inspirations in the creation of this character). But transformation doesn’t always necessarily mean “improvement” or “leveling up.” The very thing that celebrities want to believe they’re encouraging with their work. This done while condemning and being freaked out by the potential for Dre’s mutant strain of “fandom.” Yet celebrities simultaneously feed off such shades of ardor via their ever-burgeoning bank accounts. Begging the question of who the real “antagonist” is in this dynamic. Like the fat cat industrialist or the tabloid journalist claiming they wouldn’t be in business if there wasn’t a public demand, we sometimes have to wonder if that’s really true. If the existence actually creates the demand, not the other way around.

    On 2019’s “Black Parade,” Beyoncé brags, “Hear ‘em swarmin’ right? Bees is known to bite,” as though encouraging the type of drone army behavior fandoms have become known for. Each one sharing its own unique celebrity worship syndrome. And, should Glover and Nabers decide to approach another fandom in a series format, they might consider one that’s far likelier to be even more murderous than the Beyhive: the Barbz.

    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Billie Eilish’s Unhinged ‘Swarm’ Character Was Inspired By A Real Cult, Co-Creator Reveals

    Billie Eilish’s Unhinged ‘Swarm’ Character Was Inspired By A Real Cult, Co-Creator Reveals

    Warning: Spoilers for the Prime Video series “Swarm” below.

    It should be no secret that Amazon Prime’s new viral hit show “Swarm” has had the internet in a chokehold since its premiere last week.

    From its grisly trailer — which as been viewed more than 6.5 million times on YouTube as of this writing — to a viral steamy sex scene featuring Chloe Bailey and Damson Idris, the dark comedy series has caused quite the stir on social media.

    Grammy winner Billie Eilish, who made her acting debut on the twisted show centered on a pop-star-obsessed serial killer, has recently garnered massive praise on Twitter over her role, which the show’s creator says was inspired by a real cult leader.

    “There is a cult that existed in the world that was very prominent during that time,” Janine Nabers, who co-created the series alongside “Atlanta” creator Donald Glover, said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “And that is the kind of true-crime element to that episode.”

    “I think that when people think of the idea of artists or celebrities, there is this idea of thinking about the cult of Taylor Swift, or the cult of The Beatles or whatever,” Nabers added. “What we were really interested in was just seeing someone who worships at the altar of ‘something,’ and [exploring] this idea of what is the cult of the mind.”

    Billie’s mysterious character, Eva, who leads a cult that disguises itself as a “women’s empowerment group” in Episode 4, is seemingly inspired by NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, according to THR.

    In October 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison and a $1,750,000 fine over his involvement in a high-profile sex trafficking case.

    “Swarm” follows a warped heroine named Dre (Dominique Fishback) whose unhealthy obsession with an intentional Beyoncé-like figure named Ni’Jah leads her to go on a murderous rampage across the country.

    The thriller also stars Kiersey Clemons (“Dope”), Rickey Thompson and Paris Jackson.

    Season 1 of “Swarm” is available to stream on Prime Video.

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  • The Secret To St. Patrick’s Day Shopping 2023

    The Secret To St. Patrick’s Day Shopping 2023

    Ah, St. Patrick’s Day. A huge holiday for those who like to find excuses to ignore work and hit the pub. And there truly is no better way to celebrate the Irish than with a green beer.

    Like those holidays that you aren’t obligated to spend with your family, I assume you’ve been scouring the internet for outfit inspo and planning which bar crawl to join. Because holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and the Fourth of July are for two things: friends and serving fits. There’s no harm in using St. Paddy’s as your way of showing you keep up with trends.

    Shopping for your perfect green outfit shouldn’t be difficult this year, considering the most popular colors this spring are forest and kelly greens. Think Gigi Hadid pre-Jimmy Fallon taping in hooded hunter green Alexandre Vauthier Couture. Or Solange Knowles in Bottega Veneta green leather for the Matthieu Blazy show.

    This means it’s fully acceptable to buy a green fit for St. Patrick’s Day without feeling guilty. Green is in, so you’re buying a trendy outfit to wear throughout the next few months. It’s a necessary pop of color in a time when neutrals have dominated the market.

    According to Vogue, even green nails are trending with over 300 million views. Manicurists say green is highly requested by clients everywhere:

    Billie Eilish

    Broadimage/Shutterstock

    “Green manicures are one of my most requested looks right now, and I’m using a lot of BioSculpture’s Free Lovin’, which is a deep green shade,” says manicurist Faye Dennis. “It’s super eye-catching, and my clients say how many compliments they receive.”

    If you’re looking for a St. Patrick’s Day Outfit, or just looking to go green (wardrobe-wise, that is), here are my favorite green clothing items:


    Ardene Hooded Varsity Jacket

    This spring, varsity jackets and bomber jackets alike will become extremely popular. Streetwear looks have remained triumphant for a few seasons, so the varsity jacket is the perfect outerwear staple for your closet. It can match almost anything in your wardrobe right now, and this dark green shade is right on trend.


    OneTeaspoon Cargo Motion Jeans

    The people love pockets. Which is why cargo pants are all the rage right now. Channel your inner Y2K pop punk princess with this pair from Free People. While this may not be the signature St. Paddy’s Day green, who cares? They’re stylish, comfortable, and won’t be a one hit wonder in your closet.


    Abercrombie & Fitch 2000s Utility Micro Mini Skirt

    If you’re looking forward to the warmer weather, or just want to switch things up, a cargo mini skirt is the ultimate choice. Make Olivia Rodrigo proud and bring out the classic cropped baby tee and mini skirt look. While low-rise may make you uncomfortable, bodysuits or baggy t-shirts will also pair well with the skirt.


    Garage Stormi Tee 

    You can never go wrong with a baby tee. It’s a staple in any closet and this shade is perfect for the holiday. It also gives you that added color option for future outfits. I find it best paired with white bottoms or light-wash denim during the summer. It’s comfortable, casual, and able to be accessorized.


    Cider Solid Button Up Long Sleeve Shirt

    If you have a green button up, you’re set for St. Paddy’s. You can layer it with basics like a white tank and jeans styled to your liking, or you can wear it under a leather jacket with leather pants for a fully chic moment.

    Jai Phillips

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  • On Lana Del Rey “Raising A Generation” (And Whether Or Not That Was Necessarily A Good Thing)

    On Lana Del Rey “Raising A Generation” (And Whether Or Not That Was Necessarily A Good Thing)

    For whatever reason, when Lana Del Rey first arrived onto the scene, she appealed endlessly to the ten through twelve-year-old set. Like a “goth” version of Britney Spears, this chanteuse’s talk of obsessing over boys and/or being broken-hearted by them spoke to a generation of girls who had yet to even “snag” a boyfriend. Among that generation was Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, both of whom have come forward of late to declare their unwavering love for Del Rey (despite Rodrigo being far more of a Swiftie). Eilish’s gushing has been markedly more consistent (e.g., “Lana raised us”) than Rodrigo’s, who seemed to become a fangirl in time to present Del Rey with an award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.

    The award in question was the “Visionary Award.” Something that one would think might actually require a bit more…vision. At least in terms of not reiterating the same tropes about “he hurt me, I love him still” (a.k.a. “he hit me and it felt like a kiss”). Del Rey herself is the first to admit that, when it comes to the “world building” (as she and everyone else is suddenly calling it) of her albums, “boyfriends!” are the key inspiration behind it all (cue Swift saying, “Hey, that’s only okay when I do it!”). So no, few of Del Rey’s songs are capable of passing the Bechdel Test. And few people can say that perpetuating this motif of obsessing over men is a “good thing” to imbue in subsequent generations. Even so, Del Rey, despite a “low-key presence” overall, has saturated “the culture” with her “visionary” status. A branding that feels somewhat ironic when considering that all Del Rey has done, fundamentally, is raise another generation of women who fixate on men, their opinions of women and what women can do about it to claim vengeance (e.g., write a song about the jilting—though not everyone gets that luxury). Eilish has her series of such songs, from “Wish You Were Gay” to “Happier Than Ever” to “Lost Cause.” And, naturally, Rodrigo’s entire debut album, Sour, is directed at (supposedly) one boy in particular: Joshua Bassett.

    So yes, perhaps Del Rey effectively did “raise” a generation (even if Taylor had a record deal years before Del Rey achieved mainstream success). Indeed, that’s just it: there’s no denying her influence in the music of the moment. And while that influence has been championed as a boon for female musicians being able to show their “sad girl” vulnerability without shame, it’s really caused a reversion to the usual tropes of twentieth century feminine capitulation to male dominance. Which, to be sure, is very paradoxical when taking into account that there’s never been a time in the music industry when women have been so “at the center of it.” Yet now that they are, the one thing they still want to talk about, despite all the “progress” we’ve made as a society, is: men.

    Del Rey’s overall conservative views on relationships (complete with how they ought to be monogamous) provide insight into why Gen Z musicians like Madison Beer (also name-checked by Del Rey at the Billboard Women in Music Awards), Eilish and Rodrigo are still parroting back the same tired sentiments. Eilish, at least, throws in the occasional reference to Gen Z anxieties, according opioid addictions and a general disaffection vis-à-vis the end of the world’s imminence (in short, Euphoria is a Billie Eilish song). Del Rey is instead all about the undercurrent of decay that belies the shiny veneer of Americana from the era she’s most inspired by: the 1960s. Alas, that decade also favors the aforementioned “he hit me and it felt like a kiss” “philosophy” on heteronormative relationships. Take the abuse, glamorize it and repeat when one relationship ends and a new one begins. Of course, Del Rey has mentioned being accused of glamorizing abuse in a “trailblazing” sort of way—as though she “forged the path” for women like Ariana Grande, Doja Cat and Cardi B (as if), each of whom are mentioned in her illustrious “question for the culture.”

    That question resulted in an expected backlash about her racially specific list (save for the blackfishing Ariana) that also included Camila Cabello, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. She would later backpedal on why she chose to mention these women by insisting they were her favorite singers. Though, patently, at least one fellow white woman named Billie Eilish should have made the list if we’re talking bona fide preferred musicians. Now, conveniently, Del Rey actually is playing up Eilish—along with Rodrigo and Beer—as her true “favorites.” Perhaps because it’s actually “safe” to say that she paved the way for them (without causing a “race war”). Even if Beer is obviously more of an Ariana Grande knockoff with a pre-plastic surgery Megan Fox aesthetic.

    As for the aesthetic that made Del Rey famous circa 2012 (incidentally, when Beer was just starting out), she took the stage at the Billboard Women in Music Awards in an approximation of that looQue. Arriving in front of the mic with said “persona” (though Del Rey would vehemently deny ever having one) faintly recognizable from the 2012 era—complete with a vague beehive, liquid eyeliner and false eyelashes—Del Rey herself mused, “I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all.” Clearly…for if she did, she might have been able to see that continuing to tout the same lyrical themes for the past decade has had one pronounced effect overall: “Seasons only change/It’s always been the same.” This being a quote from Madison Beer’s song, “Showed Me (How I Fell In Love With You).” Del Rey, in the end, didn’t “change” the game, just played it a bit more “offbeatly” at a time when retro wasn’t as “in”—what with Amy Winehouse releasing Back to Black about two years before Lizzy Grant began her attempts at making it as a professional singer.

    Just how little things have really changed under the guise of having done so is indicated in the fact that there even needs to be a “Women in Music” Awards put on by Billboard. For it speaks to the persistent love of division in America, centered on the identity politics (for fuck’s sake, Idris Elba can’t even say he doesn’t want to be hemmed in by the label “Black actor”) that sow these “partitionings.” Nonetheless, Del Rey and her acolytes are convinced that she’s a visionary when, in truth, her messages have been maintainers of the status quo with regard to male-female power dynamics. At another point in her acceptance speech for being a “visionary,” she added, “I’m so grateful to be in the best company I’ve ever been in,” alluding to the new generation that will ostensibly persist in placing far too much emphasis on male views and acceptances of women.

    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Billie Eilish Says She Deleted All Social Media Apps Off of Her Phone

    Billie Eilish Says She Deleted All Social Media Apps Off of Her Phone

    After spending most of her formative years on the internet, Billie Eilish is taking a much-needed step back from social media.

    The pop star recently revealed that she’s deleted all social media apps off of her phone as a way to protect her mental health. “I don’t look at it anymore,” she explained on an upcoming episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast. “I deleted it all off my phone, which is such a huge deal for me. Cause, dude, you didn’t have the internet to grow up with.” Eilish went on to explain in the preview clip, published Thursday, “For me, it was such a big part of–not my childhood, I wasn’t like an iPad baby, thank god–but honestly, I feel like I grew up in the perfect time of the internet that it wasn’t so internet-y that I didn’t have a childhood. I really had such a childhood, and I was doing stuff all the time.”

    But the “Happier Than Ever” singer said her relationship with the internet started to change as she got older. “When I became a pre-teen, there were iPhones, and as I got a little older, there was all of what has become. But being a pre-teen and a teenager on the internet, those were my people. I was one of them. I was one of those people on the internet. And then, to have within myself feel like nothing changed, but suddenly I’m doing what I’ve always done and looking at the internet because I am an internet person…and slowly the videos that I’m watching and the things that I see on the internet are about me. Ew, stinky, I don’t like that,” she said.

    This isn’t the first time that Eilish has admitted her fame has made her have to seriously reconsider her online activities. In June 2021, she admitted to the LA Times that she had completely stopped reading the comments on Instagram. When asked why, she explained, “Because otherwise I will spiral out, and shit’s mean as fuck. There are some people, like my brother [Finneas], who can get a text from someone he doesn’t like and delete it immediately. He won’t even read it. I can’t do that. If Satan himself texted me, I’d be, like, ‘What did he say?’” The Grammy winner continued, “I want to hear what people have to say, and also, because I’ve grown up on the internet, I mostly agree with a lot of what the internet says. Some of the things that they make fun of people for are funny because they’re kinda true, right? Which then worries me because I’m like, ‘Oh, God, are the mean things [about me] actually true? And what are they?’ I want to know them! But I don’t want to know them, because what is that going to do for me? Nothing.”

    Emily Kirkpatrick

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  • Billie Eilish fears for her safety after fan breaks into her home – National | Globalnews.ca

    Billie Eilish fears for her safety after fan breaks into her home – National | Globalnews.ca

    Billie Eilish has said she fears for the safety of herself and her family after a fan broke into her house “unannounced and uninvited.”

    The 21-year-old is filing a restraining order against one individual named Christopher Anderson, who entered her home on January 5.

    “My father and members of the Los Angeles Police Department recently informed me that an individual who goes by the name Christopher A Anderson or Chris Anderson recently entered the interior of my family’s home on January 5 2023, unannounced and uninvited, after apparently professing his love for me and expressing that he really wanted to meet me,” Eilish said in legal documents obtained by the PA News Agency.

    READ MORE:

    Billie Eilish’s Family Home Burglarized, Suspect In Custody

    Read next:

    Amazon layoffs: Company to cut nearly 18K jobs in Canada, U.S., Costa Rica

    The musician submitted her restraining order request to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, asking for protection for her mother and father, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, as well as her brother Finneas O’Connell.

    Story continues below advertisement

    Eilish went on to say in the docs, “I have viewed images of this individual and can confirm I have no idea who he is and that I have had no prior relationship or communication with him.”

    Trending Now

    This isn’t the first time Anderson was believed to have turned up at the property, with the singer saying police had been called on five separate occasions prior to the latest incident.

    READ MORE:

    Billie Eilish Says She’s Watched ‘The Office’ Over 30 Times: ‘It’s Playing On My Phone At All Times’

    Read next:

    New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to step down in February before fall election

    “Regrettably, this is not the first time an unknown individual has attempted to contact my family and me specifically by stalking us outside my family’s home and by making professions of love to and threats of violence against me,” Eilish added.

    “However, each such occasion, including the present one, causes me substantial anxiety, fear, and emotional distress over my personal safety and that of my father, mother, and brother.

    “I worry that some day one of these individuals will do something violent or extremely disturbing to me or one of my family members.”

    &copy 2023 Entertainment Tonight Canada, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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  • Billie Eilish’s Family Home Was Reportedly Burglarized

    Billie Eilish’s Family Home Was Reportedly Burglarized

    Billie Eilish‘s family home was the site of a suspected burglary this week, and a man has already been arrested in connection with the break-in.

    Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call on Thursday night to a home in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles after receiving a report of a man in dark clothing hopping over a fence, per ABC 7 who first reported the story. According to records, the home belongs to Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, the parents of the world-famous pop star. Eilish and her older brother Finneas both grew up in the home, although he no longer lives there. As recently as last year, the singer previously told V magazine that she does still live at home with her parents.

    It remains unclear if anything was taken from the property or if anyone was at home at the time, but no injuries were reported. The police also confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody and video footage of the suspect’s arrest shows a man handcuffed and being restrained by at least three LAPD officers. Footage from the scene also shows police searching the home for evidence, and ABC7 correspondent Chris Cristi shared aerial shots of the home on Twitter writing that LAPD robbery detectives are investigating the incident.

    Eilish told V in March, “My relationship with my home has not changed, just like with my parents and my brother. I think it’s a bit jarring for some people who grew up with me or haven’t seen me in a long time…[they] come over to see us and see that it’s exactly the same. It’s as if you walked in here and it’s 2003. There’s no sign that a famous person exists within 200 feet of this area.” She added, “I mean, it’s really funny. I have to remind myself what my life actually is to the outside world, because I just forget sometimes. My life really, honestly feels the same as it did when I was a child…except that I don’t have any friends.” Plus, she still views her parents’ home as the place that “formed me. It made me who I am and gave me the opportunities that I got. I don’t think I’d have any of the same anything if it wasn’t for my hometown.”

    In 2019, Eilish also had to hire a security guard to sleep in the living room of her parents’ home after her address was leaked online, leading to a group of fans showing up at her front door. She told Rolling Stone at the time, “It was really traumatizing. I completely don’t feel safe in my house anymore, which sucks. I love my house.”

    Emily Kirkpatrick

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  • Billie Eilish Says She ‘Felt Like My Body Was Gaslighting Me For Years’

    Billie Eilish Says She ‘Felt Like My Body Was Gaslighting Me For Years’

    Billie Eilish is opening up about the body image issues she dealt with as a teenager with the benefit of hindsight.

    The seven-time Grammy winner spoke to Vogue for the magazine’s first-ever video cover, and in the accompanying interview, she recalled her early struggles with self-image.

    Eilish said she sustained a growth plate injury in her hip when she was just 13 years old, dashing her early dream of becoming a professional dancer.

    “Going through my teenage years of hating myself and all that stupid shit,” she explained, “a lot of it came from my anger toward my body, and how mad I was at how much pain it’s caused me, and how much I’ve lost because of things that happened to it.”

    Eilish noted that her injury occurred shortly before the release of “Ocean Eyes,” her 2015 debut single, “so, music kind of replaced dancing.” Several lower body injuries later, she learned she had a condition called hypermobility, meaning that some of her joints could bend beyond the typical range of movement.

    “I felt like my body was gaslighting me for years,” Eilish said. “I had to go through a process of being like, My body is actually me. And it’s not out to get me.”

    Watch Billie Eilish’s Vogue video interview below.

    The “Bad Guy” singer has been frank about her evolving relationship with her body for some time.

    Speaking to The Guardian in 2021, Eilish acknowledged she was “obviously not happy with my body,” adding, “It’s such a loss to always try to always look good.”

    She told the publication: “When I’m on stage, I have to disassociate from the ideas I have of my body. Especially because I wear clothes that are bigger and easier to move in without showing everything — they can be really unflattering. In pictures, they look like I don’t even know what.”

    She continued by describing her relationship with her body as “terrible” when not on stage as well.

    “Because I have such a terrible relationship with my body like you would not believe, so I just have to disassociate,” she said. “Then you get a paparazzi picture taken when you were running to the door and had just put anything on, and didn’t know the picture’s being taken, and you just look how you look, and everyone’s like, ‘Fat!’”

    Elsewhere in her Vogue chat, Eilish addressed her passion for climate activism and praised other activists in her age demographic who were taking similar steps to raise awareness of the cause.

    “I wish I could just make changes in my life and save the world alone,” she said. “Grow my own food and live off the grid. Erase my carbon footprint. But all that does is erase me. When really, if every single person just did half of what they should do, we could fix this.”

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  • Must Read: Billie Eilish Lands ‘Vogue’ Video Cover, Independent Designers Brace for Recession

    Must Read: Billie Eilish Lands ‘Vogue’ Video Cover, Independent Designers Brace for Recession

    These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday. 

    Billie Eilish lands Vogue video cover, talks climate
    Vogue’s first-ever video cover star Billie Eilish spoke with eight climate activists, including Quannah Chasinghorse and Wawa Gatheru, on the future of the planet. The innovative video cover is a carousel of conversation, children signing and other aesthetic shots. Directed by Mike Mills, Eilish and the activists spoke about topics like climate anxiety, navigating academia and politics, leading grassroots campaigns and environmental racism. In the cover story, Eilish also reflected on her personal journey with her body, romance and current boyfriend Jesse Rutherford. {Vogue}

    Andrea Bossi

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  • The Best Celeb Selected Gifts From Vogue’s Beauty Secrets

    The Best Celeb Selected Gifts From Vogue’s Beauty Secrets

    Before there was TikTok, there was YouTube. The old me would sit down with a snack and watch storytimes, challenges, moving out videos, makeup tutorials, cooking shows, you name it. I ended my nights with budding influencers Emma Chamberlain, Tana Mongeau, James Charles, and David Dobrik.

    To me, YouTube videos always felt a bit more intimate. Instead of a few minutes, an average YouTube storytime could go as long as an hour. And, although TikTok has ruined the attention spans of many, it was almost always captivating.

    One of the best – and longest running – series on YouTube is Vogue’s Beauty Secrets. With over 275 episodes, you get the chance to sit down and watch a celebrity get ready in their bathroom. There’s something so wholesome about some of the biggest names in Hollywood telling you what makes them feel beautiful.

    Better yet, you get to see what products your fave celeb is using. Some of them are clearly plugging their own brands or partnerships, but lately, it’s become the standard to recommend somewhat affordable products so everyone watching can buy, too.

    Vogue’s got supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, rising stars like Euphoria’s Storm Reid and White Lotus’ Haley Lu Richardson, and even icons like Zoë Kravitz and Alicia Keys. While everyone has jotted down HB’s Kosas recs from her segment, I’ve gone and done research for the rest.

    This year, if you’re struggling to find a gift for someone who loves all things beauty but has everything already, see what products their fave celebs are using. Confidence comes from within, but using the same cleanser as Ciara can’t hurt it either.

    I’ve sat down and watched almost every Vogue Beauty Secrets from the past year and rounded up the best products you won’t want to miss out on. Let’s dig in.

    Ciara 

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    Nobody has skin quite like R&B royalty, Ciara – she even got her husband, Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson, into skincare. Luckily for the general public, she takes us through her glowy routine.

    If you want to get rid of dark spots, even out your skin tone, and brighten your complexion, try her go-to OAM Vitamin C Cleanser. OAM, founded by Ciara, is affordable with quality ingredients so you aren’t getting scammed by celeb skincare.

    Maude Apatow

    One of our favorite nepo babies and Euphoria breakout star, Maude Apatow has one of the trendiest skincare and makeup routines I’ve seen. Filled with NARS, Charlotte Tilbury, Armani, and Laura Mercier, her routine is accessible and damn good.

    My favorite tip of hers is that she uses two types of concealer: NARS Radiant Concealer and the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer. I swear by the matte version, and the little pot lasts forever.

    Kate Hudson

    Seemingly ageless and always gorgeous, Kate Hudson’s Beauty Secrets video is seriously relaxing. She’s so casual about getting ready that it feels like you’re in the room with her. Her key to beautiful skin? Sleep, water, and supplements.

    Her InBloom Beauty Aura supplements contain Marine Collagen for the ultimate hair, skin, and nail vitamin. Beauty really starts from within.

    Natalia Bryant

    Model and daughter of the late NBA star, Kobe Bryant, Natalia shares her skincare routine for those with sensitive skin. She uses a lash serum which is such an underrated product in the beauty community, but one of the few products that deliver genuine results in no time.

    Cheaper than the average lash growth serum, her rec is Velour Lashes Long & Strong Lash Serum. It’s $42, cruelty free, and a great gift.

    Kate Moss 

    Kate Moss is the OG It-Girl. She has a surprisingly minimalistic routine, but the perfect gift here is the Droplette Microinfusion Device. This cool skincare gadget dissolves capsuled skincare ingredients that transform into a mist on your face and set them deep in your skin.

    Another favorite is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, which you’ve probably heard of from TikTok. This adorable palette has everything a makeup lover can ask for: contour, blush, and highlight in gorgeous, glowing shades.

    Billie Eilish

    I couldn’t write about
    Vogue Beauty Secrets without including my queen, Billie Eilish. Billie’s on-tour skincare routine is mostly Biba de Sousa, an LA-based skincare brand that bridges luxury and clinical skincare.

    I noticed that both Billie and Kate Moss recommend two products that we all know and love:
    Kosas Cloud Setting Powder and Saie Hydrabeam Concealer. I have no choice but to purchase.

    All products featured are independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

    Jai Phillips

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  • New Music Friday: Asher Monroe Releases New Chapter In XR Concert

    New Music Friday: Asher Monroe Releases New Chapter In XR Concert

    Asher Monroe is a full-blown triple threat: singer, songwriter, and actor. For years, Monroe has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry to create relatable tracks for his fans. This summer was no different with the release of his dynamic new album, Windows of Time.

    Windows of Time gives listeners a peek into Monroe’s personal life. He embraces becoming a new father and explores his passion for family, music, and his relationship with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Diana Jenkins. The 8-track album was released in July, but with Asher’s new extended reality (XR) concert, you can live it all over again.

    The XR concert provides an intimate opportunity to watch Asher Monroe perform each track off of
    Windows of Time live. The production uses the same technology as Disney’s “The Mandalorian” while incorporating the same team behind Billie Eilish’s Where Do We Go XR. According to Monroe,

    “The XR is an incredibly rewarding process from start to finish. From storyboards to hiring a team of top-notch graphic artists over many months of fine-tuning. I didn’t realize I was building my own video game universe where I could live, interact and perform in. I want to inspire other artists of my generation that, with a wild enough imagination…they can do the same!”

    The
    Windows of Time XR is released in chapters, with the latest being chapter 3: “A Rose Amidst The Thorns.” Monroe’s detailing of a fight between himself and Jenkins is a testament to his love for her, equally beautiful and shattering. You can watch the XR performance here:

    In an exclusive interview with Popdust, Asher Monroe talks his writing process, what’s inspiring him right now, and his future plans:

    You wrote “A Rose Amidst the Thorns” after an argument with your wife, Diana Jenkins of RHOBH – how does your relationship affect your writing process?

    We all have our muse. Some of my songs like, “Unpredictable ” and “Hurricane ” were all written about her. I would say most artists are strongly influenced by their inner circle and the people that they love. The best material I’ve written comes from real-life experiences.

    You’re releasing your Extended Reality Concert in chapters – how does “A Rose Amidst The Thorns” feel different from the others?

    “A Rose Amidst the Thorns” has a more intimate feeling than the others. There’s less action and more focus on my interaction with the Rose. I chose an ice cave to represent the harsh winter the Rose has to endure. In a way, it feels like a Broadway piece at times on steroids. Each song has a uniquely different story that caters to different environments. I think the production by Walter Afanaiseiff and the use of extended reality is the thread that keeps each chapter intertwined.

    What was different about recording the XR versus a music video?

    Everything was different. A lot of times with heavy VFX music videos, there’s a lot of time spent in post, whereas shooting with XR most everything is done in pre-production. I got to record my vocals LIVE on the XR studio stage vs 90-100% of music videos are lip synced. Performing with all the visuals I designed with my graphic artist in real-time on a 180-degree LED wall was so much more rewarding than the traditional style shooting of music videos. I think XR is a cutting-edge technology that will be implemented much more by mainstream artists in the future. We haven’t even scratched the surface of its capabilities.

    Is there anything your fans can expect from the next chapters that they haven’t seen yet?

    There will be one more final finale yet to come called, “Story of a Bird.” It’s not only my favorite written song on the album but my favorite visual from the XR concert. Not to give too much away, but let’s just say I’ll be handling a Laner Falcon, fighting off a dragon, and dressed as a night with a touch of Balmain.

    You quote lines from early-1900s poetry in “A Rose Amidst the Thorns” – are there certain poets or authors you like to pull from? How do you utilize literature and other elements of life in your music?

    There was so much literature at the time I was pulling inspiration for “Windows of Time”, but not necessarily one poet in particular. One author I’m reading now who I think is profoundly incredible is Joseph Campbell. Mythology is a subject I’m very much into at the moment. I was never too much into reading until the last few years. It’s a wonderful tool for igniting inspiration and expanding one’s mind. I can’t speak for all artists but the music I make in the moment is pulled from a combination of life experiences that are stored away in my mind and heart that I access like a file but also the current material I ingest using my five senses along with my headspace in that moment. I’ve noticed that each one of my musical projects regarding the sound and lyrics dramatically evolved each time based on where I was at in my life.

    Will there be any more live performances in your future?

    Yes, of course. I try to conceal things in the making before they come to fruition. What I’ll hint at saying is there’s a prestigious charity event coming up where I’ll be opening up for a female icon who has sold over 100 million records worldwide…That’s all I’ll say for now…

    What sort of music is inspiring you right now?

    Can I be honest in saying … not much? I listen to current artists every once in a while like Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, or Emeli Sande. In the last 2 years, I haven’t had an artist or song truly
    inspire me. I sometimes feel that I’m in the wrong decade – early on in my career I always felt I was behind the trends in playing catch up. Now that I’m doing my own thing and carving my own sound, it either feels I’m too ahead or that my sound is a bit too mature, but the beauty I’m finding is that like an arrow, each one of my songs are organically finding its intended target. My fanbase is all over the map; wide age gap and every ethnicity under the sun. I love it more this way because it doesn’t feel forced.

    Do you have any music in the works? Maybe another album?

    I always have another album in the works, but I don’t know how long it will take to complete. I write music all the time. As long as the inspiration is still coming, there is always going to be new material… just stay tuned!

    You can stream Asher Monroe’s album, Windows of Time, here!

    Jai Phillips

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  • Billie Eilish ‘really happy’ about relationship with Jesse Rutherford | CNN

    Billie Eilish ‘really happy’ about relationship with Jesse Rutherford | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    All is going well for Billie Eilish and her boyfriend Jesse Rutherford.

    The singer, 20, says she’s thrilled to be dating the Neighbourhood frontman, 31, despite criticism about their age difference.

    Eilish told Vanity Fair of her relationship: “It’s really cool and I’m really excited and I’m really happy about it.”

    “I managed to get … [my life] to a point where I not only was known by a person that I thought was the hottest f****** f***** alive but pulled his ass,” she said, candidly. “Are we kidding me?… Jesse Rutherford, everyone.”

    She opened up about their relationship, saying her “love language” is “physical touch.”

    “Other than that, just like freedom…you know, I don’t want to be controlled,” she said. “I want to be trusted and I want to be able to have space and I want love and attention. And equal admiration is really important.”

    Eilish added that Rutherford inspires her and that she does the same for him.

    “It’s really cool,” she said.

    This is the sixth year Eilish has participated in an annual interview with the publication, which has become something of a tradition.

    “They mean so much to me,” she said of the yearly chats.

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  • Billie Eilish Said “I’m the Problem” Before Taylor Swift and, Historically, That Tends to Track

    Billie Eilish Said “I’m the Problem” Before Taylor Swift and, Historically, That Tends to Track

    Perhaps because it’s so unusual to encounter a Gen Zer doing anything either original or “first” (not that anything really can be at this point), listeners have been quick to forget that, earlier this year, Billie Eilish already immortalized the lyrics, “I’m the problem” on her single, “TV,” released in July via her two-track EP, Guitar Songs. While Taylor Swift may have already written “Anti-Hero” at that juncture, the rule goes that whoever releases something before another musician tends to be the “owner” of that lyrical phrase. And yet, Eilish, despite her equitable popularity to Swift in such a short span of time (although the two seem vastly different from a stylistic perspective, the singer-songwriter shtick is prominent in both), has largely been forgotten for helming, “I’m the problem.” That is, ever since “Anti-Hero” inaugurated the barrage of singles that will inevitably be released from Midnights.

    Maybe the effortless forgetting of Eilish as the OG “responsibility-taker” for being something of a “problematic” person (in addition to a jobist) stems from how she couldn’t be bothered to note, “Maybe I, maybe I, maybe I’m the problem” in a catchy pop song format the way Taylor has with the chirpier phrase, “It’s me, hi/I’m the problem/It’s me.” Perhaps just going to show that the millennial knows best when it comes to toeing the line between pandering to the generations they’re sandwiched in between. Whereas Gen Z seemingly just wants to burn the whole world to the ground (but is ultimately too apathetic to do so). All while claiming to be “much different” from the millennials they balk at while simultaneously grafting pretty much every pop cultural element from them (except in this anomalous case of Taylor grafting from Billie, unless, of course, the former has documentation [obviously, she does] of the exact date she initially started writing “Anti-Hero”). And yet, not so “different” as to avoid “covert narcissism disguised as altruism,” as Taylor words it. In Eilish’s case, that comes in the form of asking hopefully, “Did you see me on TV?”

    The lack of divergence from previous generations of women on Eilish’s part has also been frequently revealed by the “pull” of older men—all while putting out the contradictory message of being “weird” a.k.a. anti-heteronormative. Yet Eilish is perhaps even more heteronormative (which, ironically, “wish you were gay” also corroborates) than Swift if her history of fetishizing “mature” dick is any hint.  

    And yes, she continues to be “the problem” after dressing up as a baby for Halloween while her older boyfriend, Jesse Rutherford (best known as the lead singer of The Neighbourhood), opted to show up as an old man. Although the two might have thought it was a “cute” way to “poke fun” at their almost eleven-year age gap, it only highlighted how little Eilish actually cares to cater to her own easily outraged generation (in addition to highlighting the retroactive ick factor of one of The Neighbourhood’s biggest songs being called “Daddy Issues”). Something she also made apparent when she appeared on the cover of British Vogue in what amounted to Marilyn drag (and actually, Billie Eilish might have been a better choice for Marilyn in Blonde than Ana de Armas—granted, nothing and no one could have saved that monstrosity). This after building her “brand” on championing the “offbeat”—as Wednesday Addams might in the twenty-first century.

    As for Taylor, the extent of her own “experimentation” comes in the form of sampling the “dream pop”/electropop stylings of the 2012 era that the likes of Chvrches, M83 and Phantogram already perfected. But, as Taylor has shown us in ousting Billie with the “I’m the problem” adage, she’s capable of “erasing” anyone she wants to whenever she comes along to perform something with her own musical interpretation of what’s already been done before. Plus, Eilish is more reluctant to admit her wrongdoings/overall frailty on “TV,” only gradually coming to the conclusion at the very end of the song that, “Baby, I, baby, I, baby, I’m the problem.” Taylor, in contrast, is far quicker to take the blame for, well, everything. Especially when it comes to being “too big to hang out” with (just as Lorde noted of herself on “Liability”). And while “TV” is a song that focuses more on the general “sickness of the culture,” “Anti-Hero” is about being overcome by one’s own insecurities and giving in completely to that low self-esteem.

    Eilish, instead, appears to have low esteem for everyone else when she offers lyrics like, “The internet’s gone wild watching movie stars on trial/While they’re overturning Roe v. Wade.” However, one notable similarity regarding insecurity that is present on both tracks pertains to weight—apparently a subject that transcends all generational divides in spite of Gen Z’s frequent touting of “body positivity.” While Eilish sings, “I’ll try not to starve myself/Just because you’re mad at me,” Taylor (formerly) showed that insecurity with a scale in the “Anti-Hero” video that reads, “FAT” when she steps onto it. Except, of course, she wasn’t allowed to have her own feelings displayed for long because of the scandalized Gen Z types that would accuse her of being fat-shaming to others.

    As for Eilish and her own problematic nature, she’ll take a less direct approach in confronting it, as manifest in the “TV” lyrics, “I’ll be in denial for at least a little while.” The same way Swifties will be about Eilish sonically coining “I’m the problem” before Taylor.

    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Worst Celebrity Halloween Costumes: Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford? Or Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly?

    Worst Celebrity Halloween Costumes: Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford? Or Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly?

    Halloween: a holiday for spooky-themed debauchery. Its allure can partly be attributed to its unabashed celebration of our inner children. We’re encouraged to be creative. To carve pumpkins, dress up in costume, and revel in our shared silliness. We show off our interests — from our favorite characters and to our favorite memes — with our elaborate get-ups. Even if you opt for a minimal, last-minute, or outright “sexy” outfit — bunny ears or cat ears included — it’s all about the fun.

    Until it isn’t.

    Halloween is also a night when people exploit this annual opportunity to dress up and cross a line. Racism reigns as people head to parties in offensive costumes, often including cultural appropriation or even Blackface. With the current alarming rise in public anti-semitism, more than a few Nazi costumes were out this year. And after the success of Netflix’s Dahmer, Jeffery Dahmer costumes are also concerningly abundant. Appalling.

    There’s still a long way to go. But in the age of increased awareness, thankfully, we’re seeing less of these costumes in public — or at least on social media. Say what you will about cancel culture, but it makes people think twice before doing something stupid. And for that alone, I am grateful.

    This especially applies to celebrities. Hopefully, we’re beyond the days of public apologies for blatantly offensive Halloween attire. But this Halloween, a couple of problematic celebrity costumes fell through the cracks. Now that we’re not distracted by as many celebs in Blackface, I guess we have the opportunity to dissect more nuanced costume faux pas.

    Let’s get into it:

    First of all, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly. Hollywood’s most extra couple stepped out as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. After the success of the Hulu adaptation starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan, the pair’s fabled romance has been thrust back into the spotlight.

    However, there are many things wrong with the Hulu series. For a show supposedly critical of the exploitation of female sexuality, it sure did a bunch of exploiting. The show allegedly examined the media’s power structures that fosters a sexist culture. Yet, those very same structures ignored Anderson’s perspective on the show.

    Pamela Anderson was vocally against the show — not wanting to relive that part of her life. Especially seeing it glamorized on screen as some wacky, edgy adventure. And while Anderson herself has done some problematic Halloween costumes, it’s time to untangle her narrative from the media’s portrayal of it.

    As if that weren’t bad enough, this revival again branded Pam and Tommy as just another volatile, rock-n-roll relationship. I’m sure you can see why it attracted Megan and MGK. However, what pop culture seems to have forgotten, is that Tommy Lee was convicted of physical assault against Pamela Anderson.

    Like many people, MGK and Megan Fox may not have known about the domestic violence in the relationship. And that’s the problem. Rather than prioritizing Anderson’s voice and story, the culture has chosen to highlight a sensationalized version of events. Seems we didn’t learn much from Free Britney.

    Excising their relationship’s abusive ending allows the story to live as a glamorized mythos. Ignoring the abuse while capitalizing on Anderson’s trauma reveals that popular culture still has a long way to go.

    But Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were not the only ones who made us cringe with their carelessly conceived costumes.

    New couple Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford had one of the most controversial costumes of the weekend. The two sparked dating rumors a few weeks ago after being repeatedly spotted together.

    Given their 11-year age difference, the internet had some thoughts. How old is Billie Eilish? Eilish is 20 — and turns 21 in December. While Rutherford — best known as the lead singer in The Neighborhood — is 32. Not a great look for the ‘Sweater Weather’ singer, who the internet has since been accusing of grooming.

    Eilish has spoken about grooming and being taken advantage of by older men early in her career. So fans were surprised about this relationship. Meanwhile, other fans claim that this is the same age gap as Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde — why don’t they get the same hate?

    Well, first of all, I’d compare this more to a Leonardo DiCaprio situation. In that instance, Camila Morrone was 21 and free to make the mistake of dating DiCaprio — a relationship that has now, thankfully, ended. But that didn’t make it any less creepy.

    Our culture fetishizes younger women, and Eilish has felt this all of her career. So when older men pursue younger women, especially women in their early 20s whose brains literally haven’t fully developed, we’re right to be suspicious. It’s a concerning dynamic. But while we can be critical, it doesn’t help to infantilize Eilish and her decisions.

    People gotta to learn the hard way, I guess.

    However, the fledgling couple sparked ire this weekend with their Halloween getups. In an attempt to be self-aware about the gossipy conversations about their relationship, they dressed up as a baby and an old man. Gross.


    Their exaggeration of the age difference is a pointed jab at the haters. But inadvertently, it’s making light of grooming as a phenomenon. So disappointing as Eilish has been vocal about the industry’s penchant for grooming. And while she’s free to make her own decisions and pursue her own relationships, this costume choice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

    Like any concerning Halloween costume, this one ignores the larger social context. Downplaying the concept of grooming is not as funny as the pair thought. For any couple, going as a baby and an old man would be really-really disgusting. For this couple, it’s even more layered.

    But luckily for us, this Halloweekend was actually full of great costumes, too.

    For celebs, Halloween is an extreme sport. Not only do they have the money and resources to put together the most elaborate costumes — they’re also creatives. If anything, it’s their job to think outside of the box and perform! To entertain! To put on a show! And on Halloween, they deliver.

    Now, as social media has upped its game, many celebs take their costume reveals as seriously as their baby reveals. They st up professional photo shoot pictures with extravagant sets with special effects and staging. These are a far cry from my blurry costume photos taken halfway through my nights out.

    But I love the extraness! The production value! It’s camp!

    So, as a palette cleanser, here are some of the best Halloween costumes from this weekend.

    Chloe Bailey as Lola Bunny

    Kali Uchis as Jessica Rabbit

    Hailey Bieber’s Runway Look

    The Riverdale Girls as the Hocus Pocus Witches

    Kerry Washington as Lionel Richie

    Kim Kardashian’s kids as Hip-Hop Icons

    Ciara and her daughter as Venus and Serena Williams

    LKC

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  • Are We Ready For More Taylor Swift?

    Are We Ready For More Taylor Swift?

    It appears that Beyonce, RIhanna, and Taylor Swift collectively agreed to descend from the music heavens to grace our mortal ears with new albums. What a time for female musicians to swoop in and save the music industry as we know it.

    On October 21st, Taylor Swift’s tenth album, Midnights, was released and it’s guaranteed to contain a dozen fall anthems. Ever since she announced the new album at MTV’s Video Music Awards, the public has been drooling over Taylor’s every move…and they should.

    TSwift is known for her Easter Eggs, meaning no post of hers is unintentional. Little clues and hints about her album and song lyrics are often teased through Swift’s cryptic messages. Even the subtle way she holds a phone can be interpreted differently by many fans.

    We know Taylor has been constantly re-recording her old tracks, the most recent being her groundbreaking Red album…but fans still want Taylor to give us new songs to obsess over. She rarely leaves us hanging, constantly feeding us with hit after hit.

    Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn

    Blitz Pictures/Shutterstock

    There’s been many versions of Taylor since her country-pop self-titled debut album, Taylor Swift. We’ve gotten the heartbroken, lovesick teenage Taylor with albums like Speak Now and Fearless. The vengeful Taylor in Reputation. And more recently, the soft fall Tay with albums like folklore and evermore.

    It’s not just the Midnights album that has sent fans into absolute pandemonium…it’s the impending promise of a stadium tour that is confirmed in the UK, meaning a US announcement can’t be far behind.

    Teaming up with Spotify, Swift has been slowly releasing quips of lyrics from Swift’s new album. In a statement from Spotify, they shared:

    “Listeners around the world have spent many a midnight with Taylor Swift. Through life’s triumphs, celebrations, and hardships, Taylor’s music and lyrics have always been a source of comfort when the clock strikes 12 and beyond. This is why Spotify has teamed up with Taylor to exclusively reveal lyrics from her new album Midnights around the world leading into the album’s release.”

    More recently, Spotify took to Times Square to release new lyrics for Swift’s album. The lyrics? “I should not be left up to my own devices…” And now, in the state I’m in, neither should I!

    Tickets for the US leg of Taylor’s Midnights tour are expected to go on sale around November, and I’m sure everyone will be fighting for the chance to see her live. More than likely, the best way to increase your chances is by purchasing an album off her website and receiving a presale code. This is the format she is using for her UK tour, so it would only make sense that the US is the same.

    It’s about to be an expensive 2023…Rihanna, Beyonce, and Taylor all are anticipating stadium tours and I’m sure they aren’t the last. The likes of Billie Eilish were seen in the recording studio recently, so my pockets are already hurting.

    With Midnights out Friday, we are ready for whatever Joe Alwyn-loving Taylor Swift has cooked up for us all. She just shared her release schedule and the credits list, which includes a very “chaotic” surprise. And don’t even get me started on the Karma theory …

    I don’t know how the genius that is Taylor Swift can continuously shock the world and come up with new, creative ways to inspire us…but she does time and time again. A new era is upon us.

    Jai Phillips

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