Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, is making quite a stir with his newest series, “SWARM.” One watch and one thing become undeniable. Glover is abundantly talented.
Glover: New Release Alert
Mar 17 marked the anticipated release of Donald Glover’s (Childish Gambino) newest feature, “SWARM,” on Amazon prime. For most familiar with Glover, this project also aligns with what he does.
This is also familiar territory for Glover. He’s been working in the industry for quite a while. A year ago, fans said farewell to Glover’s surrealist series “Atlanta,” which then and now is, for many, a fan favorite.
“Atlanta”
Atlanta: Image Source: Matthias Clamer, FX
According to The Washington Post, “[The “Atlanta” TV show] is an epicenter of Black culture, and Glover’s series put the Georgia city at the center of its universe.”
Glover bought the city alive with each episode. Although the feature found its epicenter in the city, the series was primarily centered around Earn and his cousin Paper Boi, a struggling artist. Beyond the concepts of friendship and the come-up, “Atlanta” branched out in several directions, broaching various topics with social commentary at heart.
With “Atlanta,” Glover showed impressive talent in creatively wrangling a wide range of social-cultural, social-political, and socio-economic topics.
“SWARM”
“SWARM” is something a little different. While it is true that Glover has used elements of horror and suspense in ATL. These elements form the core of “SWARM.” “SWARM” is a narrative about obsession and compulsion as it intersects with fandom. It drills down to the ugly root of runaway icon worship.
As Polygon notes, “[The “SWARM” TV show] stars Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Dre, a young woman whose obsessive fandom for a major pop star exploded into a violent episode.”
While this may differ for Glover, it bears the mark of expansive talent. With “SWARM,” Glover has drawn some comparisons to Jordan Peele, specifically in tonality.
“What Impresses”
Not only does SWARM have an impressive plot, but it also has a stellar cast and soundtrack. The cast includes Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish), Damson Idris (Snowfall), and Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give). And as for the soundtrack, Donald Glover himself served as producer alongside Michael Uzowuru. The soundtrack comprises six tracks, one upon which Gambino collaborates.
The others are songs by Ni’jah.
Summation
Glover consistently surprises audiences with the extensiveness of his reach as an actor, writer, producer, director, and music artist. SWARM is merely another representation of that brilliance. With hope, the world will see more of this in the future.
Written by Renae Richardson
Edited by Nikita Serdiuk
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