That's Showbiz Baby is the first solo studio album by the English singer Jade, released on 12 September 2025 by RCA Records. It is supported by the release of the singles "Angel of My Dreams", "Fantasy", "FUFN (Fuck You for Now)", and "Plastic Box". To promote the album, she will embark on a tour of the same name, which will commence in October 2025 and conclude in March 2026.
Commercially, the album charted within the top ten in Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. Upon release, That's Showbiz Baby received widespread acclaim from critics, who highlighted Jade's musical journey from Little Mix to solo stardom, and praised both its themes and overall production.
Background
In 2008 and 2010, Jade auditioned for the fifth and seventh series of The X Factor.[1] During the eighth series in 2011, she auditioned again; during the Bootcamp stage, Jade—who had been performing with a group named Orion—was placed into Little Mix[a] which was formed by the judges.[3] The group continued to progress through the competition and was named as winners during the finale on 11 December 2011.[4] During their time as a group, they sold over 75 million records worldwide,[5] earned six UK platinum-certified albums,[6] and had five UK number one singles.[7] In December 2021, the group announced that following the completion of the Confetti Tour in 2022, they would take a hiatus to pursue solo endeavours.[8] In 2025, she revealed how she was the least enthused about the band's hiatus. "I did anything to avoid sitting with my thoughts. I was so in love with what we stood for and knew there'd be a gap when we left," she told The Fader.[9] Speaking to Rolling Stone UK, Jade later expressed her doubts about being put in a girl group, telling the magazine that she did not see herself as the "conventional girl's girl. I was nerdy and quiet."[10]
In March 2022, Sony Music UK announced Jade had signed with RCA Records for her solo career;[11] she also signed with management company Full Stop for representation.[12][13] Born Jade Thirlwall, she dropped Thirlwall in her pursuit of a solo career, revealing "[i]t was intentional. I was so used to saying, 'Hi, I'm Jade from Little Mix,' for so long that removing that off the end felt really important for me." She further cited the continued misspelling of her surname as another reason to go by a mononym.[14]
Development and recording
Clockwise: Jodie Harsh and Jax Jones were first linked to the project in 2022; by 2023, Tove Lo and Lostboy were reported to have been involved.
London-based DJJodie Harsh revealed she was in the studio with Jade in July 2022, but was unsure if the material—described at the time as "kind of half-finished stuff"—would appear on the singer's solo album.[15] The following month, Jax Jones revealed he had collaborated with Jade, stating, "We finished off the thing that we worked on. I think, for her, it's all about timing. When she's ready she's going to unleash."[16] Sessions with Jones were first reported in December 2021, when it was believed their collaboration would launch Jade's solo career.[17][18][19]
By 2023, Jade was reported to have been seen working with Lostboy and Tove Lo.[20][21] Other contributors included Raye and Jade's long-term boyfriend, Jordan Stephens, the latter of whom she co-wrote a song with after she had a dream about him cheating.[22] Speaking to Harper's Bazaar Australia, Jade revealed she had written "hundreds of songs" for the album.[23] She further expressed to Rolling Stone UK that she had little pressure from her record label to release solo music, revealing that had she felt such pressures she "would've been anxious and have put so much pressure on myself to be as big as [Little Mix] was".[10]
Discussing the album with Vogue, Jade remarked that it feels "a bit like a rebirth, which sounds quite cheesy. But I have found out so many things about myself in this process." She further detailed that she used the three-year process of creating the album as a way of breaking the habit of releasing an album yearly and then going on tour, as done with Little Mix, revealing her belief that it was programming to "crave relevancy". In the article, Jade also hinted at the release of a deluxe edition for the album.[24] Self-identified as a student of pop music, she told Paste that she will "know if an audience just wants the normal [versional, sic] of a song. But in a space like Live Lounge, that's my opportunity to totally rework something and show people my artistry—show people that I'm not just going to do a standard cover or singalong. That's not what I do."[25]
She described the process of creating That's Showbiz Baby as speed dating, revealing, "I think because it was the first record, I was doing a lot of speed dating with producers and writers, finding my people."[26] She further addressed this with RTÉ, stating, "In my head, I was like, 'I've got to release something straight away, everyone's going to forget about me. I've got to ride the wave of Little Mix' – all that stuff that I've been programmed to think as a pop artist."[27]
Composition
Jade cited Diana Ross (pictured) as an influence for the album and its sound; critics further noted this upon review of the album.
That's Showbiz Baby is described as a pop music record,[28] while several reviewers noted the influence of electroclash and synth-pop as well.[29][30] Musically, the album is inspired by the sounds from Jade's childhood, with artists and bands including Cascada, Madonna, Diana Ross, Scooter, and the Spice Girls.[31] "Angel of My Dreams" deals with the "double-edged sword" that is fame.[29][32] It interpolates Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String"; the lyrics serve as a double entendre, referencing Simon Cowell and his companies Syco Music/Syco Entertainment. ("Selling my soul to a psycho").[33] Second track "It Girl" is an "anthem that similarly opens with an operatic lament" in a techno-inspired sound;[33] like the predecessor, it features another reference to Cowell ("It's a no from me"),[34] as well as contractual clauses within the music industry ("Clause in the contract, contract gone").[35] Musically, the song incorporates elements of pop,[36] in addition to electronica,[37] electroclash,[38] and dance-pop.[39] The next song is "FUFN (Fuck You for Now)", which details the messy results of a drunken fight,[30] as well as the burnout of working hard in the entertainment industry.[40][41]
"Unconditional" explores the ambitions of the album itself, as well as her mother's battle with various illnesses, including lupus,[51][52] with a "disco driven" sound,[53] that is reminiscent of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys,[29] and Giorgio Moroder.[32] "Self Saboteur", the eighth track and one of the first songs written for the album, was written around the concept of running away when love begins to feel scary in a new relationship.[24] On "Lip Service", the contemporary R&B and tropical house-influenced song has Jade singing about oral sex; the song was written after label executives felt another song about anal sex was cut due to it being found "too much, too far".[32][42][54] Both of the latter songs are described as "shimmering synth-led cuts" by DIY.[29]
The album's tenth track, "Headache", deals with Jade's self-confessed behaviour when she is premenstrual.[24] "Natural at Disaster" is a Chappell Roan-inspired pop ballad,[33][53] which features "contemplative percussion and vocal yearning".[32][40]Paste suggested the lyrical content could be about her former Little Mix groupmate Jesy Nelson.[34] "Glitch" sees Jade experimenting with "futuristic R&B" and hyperpop, while the lyrics explore her insecurities about anxiety-induced eye twitches.[34][24] Vocally, she users her upper register.[28] The thirteenth track, "Before You Break My Heart", interpolates the Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love".[29][32][54] Its production is described as "chunky disco",[30] and examples the heritage of girl groups.[55] The song also features a sample recording of Jade's younger self singing the chorus.[35] The slower-paced "Silent Disco" closes the album, dealing with the subject of inner peace and navigating the accomplishment of release with a bruised and delicate strength that isolates;[40] it also features "lyrical intimacy amid gauzy synths".[30]
Artwork and title
That's Showbiz Baby takes its title from the lyrics of "It Girl" after fans commented on how much it sounded like an album title. "The album wasn't originally called that, it was called something else, which I don't wanna say in case I use it again. The fans steered me in the that's showbiz baby direction," Jade told Ladygunn.[56] She further made an example of the album's cover to a scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), explaining that she wanted to "show this idea that there are multiple versions of myself, and then there's the bigger Jade who's the one in control."[26]
Promotion and release
Live performance and tour
In connection to the album's announcement on 14 May 2025,[57][58][59] Jade revealed a concert tour of the same name, with dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland, commencing on 8 October 2025.[60][61][62] Concerts in North America and Europe were announced on 23 September 2025.[63][64] She performed at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend on 25 May 2025,[65] where she debuted "Plastic Box".[66] One week later, Jade performed at the 2025 edition of Mighty Hoopla.[67][68] She opened Capital's Summertime Ball on 15 June 2025.[69]
The lead single, "Angel of My Dreams", was released on 19 July 2024.[73] Commercially, the song debuted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart,[74] and achieved gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry.[75] "Midnight Cowboy" was released as a promotional single in September 2024,[76] followed by the second single, "Fantasy" the following month.[77] A second promotional single, "It Girl", was released in January 2025,[78] with the album's third single, "FUFN (Fuck You for Now)", following two months later.[79] "Plastic Box" was released as the album's fourth single on 20 June 2025.[80][81] "Unconditional" was released as the third promotional single two days prior to the album's release, accompanied by a visualiser video.[82][83][84]
Videos and visual album
The music video for "Angel of My Dreams", directed by Aube Perrie and filmed in London in 2024, was inspired by the films Showgirls (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), and Black Swan (2010).[39] The video features both childhood clips, in addition to both of Jade's auditions for The X Factor.[85] Conceptually, it follows a rags to riches story, as Jade shows her own journey to stardom.[23] The video features eleven different styled looks.[86] She described it as "very clinical", while also comparing it to Lady Gaga's music video for "Bad Romance" (2009).[14] With "Fantasy", the David LaChapelle directed video pays homage to the 1976 film Carrie, based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Stephen King.[87] "FUFN (Fuck You for Now)" features Nick Grimshaw and shows Jade navigating through fame alongside her partner.[88]
In addition to music videos, visualisers were also released for the songs "Midnight Cowboy" and "It Girl". The former showcases paparazzi photographing Jade as she dances through water foundations,[89] while the latter continues as a tease from the "Angel of My Dreams" music video.[90] Both were directed by Fa & Fon, and produced by Riff Raff Films.[91] On the day of the album's release, Jade premiered the visualiser for every song on the track listing.[92]
That's Showbiz Baby received critical acclaim from music critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, That's Showbiz Baby received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from ten critic scores.[94] AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a score of 7.9 out of 10 based on eleven reviews.[93]
Sophie Williams of Billboard described the album as "precise and introspective", while also noting her ability to create a "distinct, dazzlingly ornate record while honoring those who informed her musical education."[40]DIY's Daisy Carter gave the album a perfect score and wrote that after a "career's worth of constricting, prescriptive pop formula, [Jade's] now finally concocted a recipe for success on her own terms — and it's anything but vanilla."[29] Nmesoma Okechukwu of Euphoria praised Jade's turn from girl group to soloist, noting her as someone who "breathes and bleeds creativity and artistic experience".[95] In their track-by-track breakdown, Fault described the album as "bold, theatrical, and unapologetically [Jade] as fans hoped it would be."[96] In a review for The Guardian, Laura Snapes wrote that while Jade thrived through chaos amid the themes of madness and freedom, she could not maintain it throughout the entirety of the album. Snapes further noted comparisons to artists, such as Beyoncé, Geri Halliwell, Robyn, and Taylor Swift.[30]
The i Paper complimented Jade's vocals within the soprano range while also believing her to have made a name for herself in her own right in comparison to her Little Mix groupmates.[33]MusicOMH praised the album for its melodies and vocal hooks, as well as its varied musical genres.[55]NME described the album as "chaotic, intense, with a bit of everything thrown in", while believing Jade had transitioned from a girl group starlet to a solo pop superstar.[32]Paste's Grace Robins-Somerville felt that with the album, Jade had "proven herself more than ready to be a leading lady".[34]Rolling Stone declared she has made a statement with the album, reviewing that it was a "fun, frothy pop album where the onetime Simon Cowell mentee thrills in the dancefloor's unpredictable abandon and her own power." The publication further compared Jade's solo material to that of Little Mix, stating that while the latter "shattered and reassembled" within the pop music genre, the former embraced the chaos.[28]Pitchfork listed the album first on their list of albums out on 12 September to listen to.[97]
The Independent featured editor Adam White felt the album excelled with tracks in the vein of the first single "Angel of My Dreams", but expressed disappointment in what he described as tracks that held "more conventional, chart-friendly sounds".[54] In their review, The Line of Best Fit referred to the album as the "blueprint for new artists breaking through", but, felt the back half of the album lacked some of the energy found in the earlier tracks.[53]
In Europe, the album debuted at number 54 on the French Albums chart,[102] while reaching numbers 28 and 22 on the German Albums and Spanish Albums charts, respectively.[103][104] It reached the top twenty in Austria,[105] Belgium,[106] and the Netherlands.[107] In the US, the album reached number 24 on the BillboardTop Album Sales chart;[108] additionally, it charted at number six on the BillboardTop Dance Albums chart.[109]
1 2 Okechukwu, Nmesoma (12 September 2025). "Jade – That's Showbiz Baby". Euphoria. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
↑ "Tops de la semaine | Top Albums"[Tops of the Week | Top Albums] (in French). France: SNEP. 19 September 2025. Archived from the original on 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
↑ "Austria Top 40 – Alben Top 75"[Austria Top 40 – Albums Top 75] (in German). Austria: Austrian Charts. 19 September 2025. Archived from the original on 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
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