Jade Thirlwall is ready for her turn in the spotlight. Over the past year, the former Little Mix star made her solo debut with the single “Angel of My Dreams” and followed it up with singles like “Fantasy,” “Unconditional,” and “FUFN.”
Today, Jade steps into her own with her debut album That’s Showbiz Baby!, out now. The British songstress’ talent is on full display as she demonstrates her ability to seamlessly lend her voice to a wide range of pop tracks, from the emotional “Plastic Box,” “Natural at Disaster,” and “Self Saboteur” to attitude-packed outings like “Headache” and the aptly titled “It Girl.”
She even pays homage to The Supremes – and her younger self – on “Before You Break My Heart.” Rather than sampling the original “Stop! In the Name of Love,” it features vocals of her singing the classic song as a child. “This makes the track even more personal to me. It’s about not forgetting who I am and where I came from, and always remembering to access my inner child,” she told Capricho of the song.
The album arrives as an immersive experience with visuals for each track. Getting to release a declaration of who she is as a solo artist was an uplifting experience for Jade. Though she sings about heartfelt experiences on the album, she doesn’t spend time wallowing in her feelings.
“When you are a pop artist, you can’t be all woe is me. I am aware that I’m very privileged to do what I do. I think coming out and being like ‘This is so sad’ isn’t the vibe,” she told The Guardian. For her, creating music provides a release unlike any other. “If something is wrong in my life, if I write a gorgey pop song, it just makes the world better,” she explained to The New York Times.
Expressing herself as a solo artist, ultimately, was an exciting challenge that she couldn’t turn down. “I think you should be ambitious as a pop star,” she told The Guardian. “You shouldn’t give yourself a ceiling.”