Breaking free from a beloved group is no small feat. For every artist who becomes the next Justin Timberlake or Harry Styles, there are others who fade into obscurity. Former Little Mix member JADE is making her case for pop supremacy with her first solo album, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, and her opening statement is loud, messy, and exhilarating.
Her debut single “Angel of My Dreams” signaled that this wasn’t going to be a cautious rebrand. JADE called her style “Frankenstein pop,” and the track lives up to the label: a kaleidoscope of sounds stitched together, from a cheeky lift of Sandie Shaw’s 1967 Eurovision winner “Puppet on a String” to bass-heavy club beats and even a shouted aside to her producer Mike Sabath. The result is a chaotic anthem that manages to be both self-aware and sincerely spectacular.
Seventeen years after being told she wasn’t strong enough as a solo act on The X Factor, JADE now stands center stage with one of the most audacious pop debuts of the decade.
Riding the Wave of Maximalist Pop
JADE’s timing couldn’t be better. After years of whispery, diary-entry pop dominating the charts, the pendulum has swung toward theatrical excess. The summer of 2024 marked a turning point: Charli XCX’s BRAT set the tone, Sabrina Carpenter made a cheeky household name for herself, and Chappell Roan bedazzled her way into the mainstream. JADE slid right into this revival with “Angel of My Dreams” and now arrives with a full project that leans into camp, glamour, and bold experimentation.
A Playground of Pop Experiments
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! feels like a scrapbook of ideas JADE couldn’t unleash while in Little Mix. Songs like “IT girl” and “Headache” flirt with electroclash and nod to early M.I.A. and Santigold, while “Midnight Cowboy” leans into decadent, innuendo-heavy camp with a cameo from actor Ncuti Gatwa.
The album’s disco-inspired middle stretch, “Fantasy,” “Unconditional,” and “Self Saboteur,” proves she can reimagine retro sounds without sounding like a tribute act. Where other disco revivals feel like karaoke, JADE brings sweaty, unpredictable energy. Elsewhere, she stretches her voice across ballads, hyperpop, and even a bit of rap on “Glitch.”
A Leading Lady Emerges
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! is more than just a solo debut, it’s a reclamation for the pop artist. JADE embraces spectacle and risk in ways she couldn’t within a group, proving she has the vocal chops and personality to headline her own era.
After years of sharing the stage, JADE has made it clear she’s not here to blend in. She’s here to put on a show.
