GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH JADE’S ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!’
Unless you lived under a rock during the 2010s, you’ll remember Little Mix, the iconic girl group that began a hiatus back in 2022. After getting her start as a founding member, JADE’s debut solo album is finally here, and she’s showing us that she really is the IT girl. Taking us through what showbiz really feels like behind the scenes, blending bold sounds with honest lyrics, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! proves itself to be an entire experience, more than just an album.
JADE’s new era truly exudes confidence. Opening the album with lead single “Angel of my Dreams”, we’re shown the tumultuous nature of real showbiz. An ethereal-sounding intro introduces us how JADE may have worshipped an imagined version of what fame was supposed to be like, before breaking into catchy, synth-y sonics with contrasting lyrics: the industry doesn’t care. Accompanying the track, JADE released a music video where we can see younger versions of herself reflecting on her living a normal life, as well as in many different character personas, each iconic in their own way. Along with boldly addressing the nature of her industry with this project, it’s known that JADE doesn’t hold back from talking politics—from chants of “F*** you” to transphobia, and silencing protests (among others) during her Glastonbury set, to vocally supporting a free Palestine.
Nostalgic and yet simultaneously futuristic, the album brings us through sounds reminiscent of the 2010s pop music we originally learned JADE’s name through, even sampling older tracks, such as The Supremes’ iconic 60s hit “Stop! In The Name of Love” in her own “Before You Break My Heart”. We’re carried through the history of showbiz, while being presented with its future ahead of us in JADE’s energetic, electronic pop album.
Though the tracks are often club-inspired, the themes of the album are less carefree. Ironically contrasting its upbeat pop sound, the project addresses the up and down nature of fame, the exhaustion that being in such an industry can produce, as well as her own personal relationships. From sampling “Puppet on a String” by Sandie Shaw in the lead single, to the lyric “It’s a no from me” in “IT girl”, JADE directly references experiences like competing on X Factor, as well as indirectly showing us what it feels like.
Each track on the album brings a different energy, and yet they flow with perfect cohesion throughout. Fourteen tracks, perfectly paced, make the three quarters of an hour listening experience feel like it’s passed in a matter of moments. Standout tracks include single “Plastic Box”, a catchy, electronic anthem, where JADE addresses her own potentially toxic energy at the beginning of her relationship—though it could also explain what it feels like to enter the showbiz. “Natural at Disaster” builds and falls beautifully, emulating the chaos of a natural disaster itself. It’s lyrically beautiful, and anybody who loved Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” will adore it. The sassy energy in “Headache” is truly iconic, and between the catchy bassline and the snappy lyrics, it’s not one that’ll leave anybody’s mind anytime soon.
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! is truly for day-one Little Mix fans, and new fans just somehow learning JADE’s name alike. It’s definitely a new sound from the girl group tracks we’re used to hearing her voice in, but JADE stays true to her pop roots and grows above the surface with a fresh new sound. If anything, the album embraces the chaos of being in pop music lyrically, sonically, and through live performances. JADE is finally showing us even more of who she really is outside of the band we’ve associated her with over the last decade. With every track being powerful enough to have been a contender for lead single, fans who came from “Angel of My Dreams” will love the rest of the album.