Up until fairly recently, Jade Thirlwall was a member of Little Mix, a hugely successful British girl group that was assembled on the UK version of The X Factor. Little Mix went on hiatus in 2022. A little more than a year ago, JADE, recording just under her all-caps first name, released the wild, twisty solo single "Angel Of My Dreams." It was a top-10 UK hit, and it announced JADE as a solo artist with some serious ideas. Today, JADE releases her solo debut That's Showbiz Baby!, and it gives a better idea of where she's going with all those ideas.
We already had plenty of clues. JADE followed "Angel Of My Dreams" with a barrage of solo singles, including "IT girl," "FUFN (Fuck You For Now)," and "Plastic Box." (Sadly, her very fun Confidence Man collab "gossip" is not on the album.) That's Showbiz Baby! doesn't quite maintain the all-over-the-place energy of "Angel Of My Dreams," but it's a bold and immaculately crafted collection of club-pop with a whole lot of hooks and confidence. JADE made the record with collaborators like RAYE, Tove Lo, Cirkut, Lostboy, and MNEK. There's a Supremes sample in there, too. I'm just on my second listen now, but I could imagine this one really sticking. Stream it for yourself below.
That's Showbiz Baby! is out now on Sony UK.
