Global music sensation JADE unleashed her long-awaited debut solo album THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, a vibrant 12-track opus via RCA Records that chronicles her evolution from Little Mix stardom to unapologetic pop maximalism, blending chaotic dancefloor anthems with introspective confessions. Featuring collaborations with A-list talents like Mike Sabath, Lostboy, Cirkut, RAYE, Pablo Bowman, and Oscar Görres, the album weaves previously released singles—“Angel Of My Dreams,” “Fantasy,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “IT girl,” “FUFN (Fuck You for Now),” and “Plastic Box”—into a cohesive narrative of self-reclamation and showbiz’s glittering underbelly. The cover art, inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s surreal multiplicity, captures JADE’s vision of fragmented selves under one commanding persona, as she explained to Ladygunn, symbolizing “multiple versions of myself, with the bigger JADE in control.” Available now for streaming (listen here), THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! has already amassed 8,168,496 Spotify streams in its first four days—2,763,472 on day one, 1,939,610 on day two, 1,606,380 on day three, and 1,859,034 on day four—debuting at No. 3 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut Global chart and No. 5 on the U.S. chart, per fan updates on X. 0 With JADE’s solo streams hitting 215 million in just over a year, this release cements her as a force in 2025’s pop landscape, earning widespread acclaim for its “fun, frothy” chaos (Rolling Stone) and “sublimely whacked-out” British vision (The Guardian).
The album’s cornerstone, “Angel Of My Dreams,” released last summer, exploded onto the scene with its fever-dream interpolation of Sandie Shaw’s Eurovision-winning “Puppet On A String,” targeting JADE’s early music industry experiences. Directed by Aube Perrie (Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles), the hyper-stylized visual turned heads globally, amassing over 100 million streams and debuting in the UK Official Singles Chart’s Top 10—the third-highest new entry for a British artist that year. Its success propelled JADE to a triumphant 2025 BRIT Awards night, where she clinched Pop Act as the first former girl group member to win a solo award, delivering a four-minute, five-act spectacle that The Fader hailed as establishing her as a “next-generation pop maximalist.” Nominated for Best Contemporary Song at the Ivor Novello Awards, the track topped DIY Magazine’s 2024 Songs of the Year, landed in the Top 10 of The Guardian, DORK, Clash, and NME lists, and earned Dazed’s Video of the Year nod. JADE reflected to Rolling Stone UK, “It was intentional to drop the Thirlwall—starting fresh felt right,” marking her solo pivot after Little Mix’s hiatus.
Standout tracks pulse with JADE’s signature blend of glamour and grit. The sensual electro-pop of “Unconditional,” written during her mother’s lupus battle, layers “fabulous disco vibes” over deep sentiment, as JADE shared with The Fader, turning hospital-bed anguish into Studio 54-ready empowerment. “Self Saboteur,” a pulsing confessional, dissects inner turmoil with raw honesty, while “Natural At Disaster” drops lavish truth bombs on self-sabotage in love. The ethereal “Silent Disco” offers an impassioned breather, its haunting synths evoking quiet rebellion. “Fantasy” channels horror icon Carrie in a dreamy visual, “Midnight Cowboy” gifts fans a promotional gem, “IT girl” (confirmed via The Face interview) skewers social media facades, and “FUFN,” released March 2025, delivers a biting kiss-off. “Plastic Box” rounds out the singles with playful disdain for superficiality. JADE told L’OFFICIEL, “This album has been years in the making—I’m beyond excited. It’s a body of work I’m proud of, and performing it live is a dream.” Critics rave: The Guardian calls it a “wild ride through electroclash, Eurovision drama, and emotive synth-pop,” though noting she “can’t quite maintain the whiplash for a whole album”; Rolling Stone praises her thrill in “dancefloor abandon and her own power”; and Vulture highlights its arrival as a “solid” for summer vibes, despite the fall drop.
JADE’s path to THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! traces back to March 2022, when Sony Music UK signed her to RCA Records and Full Stop Management, post-Little Mix hiatus. Born Jade Amelia Thirlwall on December 26, 1992, in South Shields, England, to Norma Badwi and James Thirlwall, she rose via The X Factor in 2010, forming Little Mix with Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson (who left in 2020). The group amassed four No. 1 albums, 12 Top 10 singles, and over 15 million records sold, but JADE admitted to The Fader feeling like the “least enthused” about the break, diving into solo work to avoid “sitting with my thoughts.” Her 2025 BRIT win, Trailblazer Award at Rolling Stone UK Awards (November 2024), and Rolling Stone UK cover marked her ascent. This summer, she dominated festivals: Glastonbury (June 28), Radio 1’s Big Weekend, All Points East, Mighty Hoopla, TRNSMT, and Montreux Jazz in Switzerland. She headlined a full orchestral BBC Proms concert in Newcastle and supported Chappell Roan in Edinburgh, earning Dazed’s praise for her “chaotic dance pop” layering glitz over heartstrings.
The album’s October tour, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! – THE TOUR, announced May 14, 2025, will hit JADE’s first solo UK and Ireland run: October 8 in Dublin at 3Arena; October 10 in Belfast at SSE Arena; October 12 in Brighton at Brighton Centre; October 14 in Manchester at AO Arena; October 16 in Glasgow at OVO Hydro; October 18 in Leeds at First Direct Arena; October 20 in Bournemouth at BIC; October 22 in Birmingham at Utilita Arena; October 24 in Newcastle at Utilita Arena; and October 26 at London’s Roundhouse. Tickets, via Ticketmaster and AXS, sold out swiftly, with resale buzz on X. JADE’s advocacy shines through: an LGBTQ+ ally and Stonewall ambassador, she won Gay Times Honours for Allyship in 2021 and 2025, co-writing for artists via Sony/ATV and protesting industry norms.
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! arrives amid JADE’s 2025 dominance, with “Gossip” (July 23 collab with Confidence Man) and a remix feature on Kesha’s Period deluxe (July 8, “Boy Crazy”). Her iTunes conquests—22 No. 1s in Malaysia, Fiji, Czechia, Qatar, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Brazil, Netherlands, South Africa, UK, New Zealand, Oman, Hungary, Cambodia, Cyprus, and Spain—signal global hunger, per X fan accounts. 5 Apple Music adds Libya, Laos, and Algeria No. 1s. 7 Fans on X root for a UK Albums Chart No. 1, making her the fifth female artist in 2025 (Black British Women post), alongside Reneé Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter, Lorde, and Wet Leg. 1 Early reactions hail it “incredible from start to finish” (Gee), with gym anthems and “Jadeism” memes proliferating.
JADE’s solo era, post-Little Mix’s 15-year run, is a reclamation: from X Factor doubts to BRIT triumph, she’s documented loving and hating the “pop machine” (The Fader). With THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, she invites fans to revel in the chaos, promising a tour that’s “a dream come true.” Stream now—it’s pop’s boldest statement of 2025.
The Pop Blog general news and updates, mostly from press releases and conferences.