Album Review: "That's Showbiz Baby!" - JADE

Victoria Fitzgerald
Sep 18
6 min read

“That’s Showbiz Baby!” is JADE’s first solo studio album. It was released on September 12th, 2025 under RCA Records, with single releases such as “Angel of My Dreams”, “Fantasy”, “Plastic Box”, and “FUFN (Fuck You For Now)”. This album is composed of lyrical themes such as love, relationships, and the experience of being in the music industry. JADE takes on styles typical of pop songs and adds unique elements that present something fresh to her audience. The tracks have an addictive synth and groovy drumbeats that keep the songs in listeners’ heads. She will soon embark on a tour in October of 2025 to promote this album.

TRACKLIST

Angel Of My Dreams

IT girl

FUFN (Fuck You For Now)

Plastic Box

Midnight Cowboy

Fantasy

Unconditional

Self Saboteur

Lip Service

Headache

Natural at Disaster

Glitch

Before You Break My Heart

Silent Disco

JADE was born Jade Amelia Thirlwall on December 26th, 1992. Her musical career began when she auditioned for hit TV show “X Factor” before she rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Little Mix. Little Mix became the first group to win the show. Little Mix released six studio albums and nineteen singles ended up on the UK Top-Ten Singles, and five reached number one. They went on hiatus in 2022, the same year that JADE signed a solo record deal with RCA Records.

Angel Of My Dreams

“Angel Of My Dreams” begins with distant vocalizations, followed by dreamy synths that create an ethereal effect over the chorus. The song suddenly shifts to a bouncing, intense beat that takes us to the verse. The chorus is restated in the same mood as the verse, and JADE demonstrates an impressive vocal range between the lower pre-chorus and higher chorus. This song is devastatingly relatable and tells the story of loving someone who doesn’t care about you. The use of the phrase "of my dreams" suggests something idealistic, but ultimately not real, adding to the tragedy of it all.

IT girl

This track begins with a dreamy introduction that includes powerful vocals, suddenly transitioning into a hype beat. “IT girl” is a powerful anthem about autonomy. JADE sings about the music industry and the control it exerts over artists. It puts them in boxes, it exploits their identities, and it does it all for a bottom line. JADE rejects this process, reclaiming her identity as an artist and as a person, boldly stating that she can’t be controlled.

FUFN (Fuck You For Now)

“FUFN (Fuck You For Now)” begins with synths underneath low vocals. For the verse, there’s a mellow instrumental that draws listeners into the world of the track. The pre-chorus has an echoey effect on the vocals that creates a dreamy vibe while the instrumental underneath starts building in momentum in anticipation of the chorus. This song is about someone you love letting you down and upsetting you. You still love them, but right now you’re upset and you can’t ignore that.

Plastic Box

Whenever you’re dating someone, it can be uncomfortable to think about the connections they had before you. You may compare yourself, wondering if the feelings they experience for you pale in comparison to the experiences they had with other people, ultimately leaving a nasty feeling of bitterness and jealousy. This is called retroactive jealousy. The track “Plastic Box” is all about retroactive jealousy. JADE uses lyrics like “cause I know you had a life before me” to acknowledge that this thought process is irrational, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Like the title suggests, sometimes you wish you could have an untouched version of your partner’s heart that hasn’t been used or held by anyone else.

Midnight Cowboy

“Midnight Cowboy” begins with a spoken announcement introducing what sounds like a stage performance with dreamy, ethereal vocals floating lightly underneath. This song is about embracing sensuality, with lyrics such as “giddy up, it’s the wild Wild West / And I think it’s bout time for the midnight cowboy”. The song ends in the same way it began, with an announcement to close out the performance. This song is addictive, and listeners will surely be singing along to it throughout their day after hearing it.

Fantasy

“Fantasy” is another song about embracing all sides of sensuality, but has a deeper meaning that really explores all facets of the idea of intimacy. This track describes wanting to know what your partner fantasizes about and wanting to carry out those fantasies for them, with lyrics such as “I need to know what you’ve been dreaming of” to carry out that message. However, lyrics like “I wanna tell you all my secrets” speak to another level of intimacy, which is knowing your partner and your partner knowing you.

Unconditional

When you love someone, it hurts when they’re hurting. You want the best for them. Whenever they’re going through a hard time, you want to take them out of it and “save” them. This is what JADE describes in her track “Unconditional”. Like the name suggests, this song is about unconditional love. No matter what someone is going through, you’re going to be there for them. However, as suggested by the lyrics “If only my love could be your medicine”, you may grapple with the feelings of wanting to love them better but being unable to. You must settle for being there for them, even if they aren’t always there for themselves.

Self Saboteur

Millions of people experience anxiety and fear around their relationships, and each of them express this anxiety and fear in different ways. Some people lean into the fear, latching on tightly and leaving metaphorical claw marks with their requests for constant validation and security. Some people lean out of the relationship entirely, avoiding getting hurt by avoiding vulnerability. “Self Saboteur” describes the latter. JADE describes how she feels the urge to run, but rejects this feeling. She recognizes that she needs to lean into the discomfort in order to heal and to not self-sabotage herself and her happiness, with lyrics such as “I’m feeling shackled and free” depicting this uncomfortable but necessary process.

Lip Service

Sometimes, you want someone so bad it feels like you’re on fire. That’s the story being told by “ Lip Service” . This track is all about desire. JADE uses lyrics such as “is it the feeling of fire?” and “I just want your lip service” to demonstrate the depths that this desire takes. This track embraces sexuality and does it proudly and without shame.

Headache

“Headache” opens with a siren that turns into a catchy instrumental. The vocal harmonies sprinkled throughout the song are also deliciously addictive, demonstrating JADE’s vocal prowess. This song is about the experience of having someone who is there for all of you, even the parts of you that may be less shiny or desirable. You have quirks or tendencies that drive them nuts, but they stick around. It’s the wonderful feeling of having someone who can handle you, at all moments, without acting like it’s a chore.

Natural at Disaster

“Natural at Disaster” is about trying to heal someone with love and getting hurt in the process. The sad truth is that some people don’t want to get better. This leads to them siphoning off of your energy and draining you of your light. JADE uses the phrases “everything you touch turns to ashes” and “you’re stuck in your ways forever” as evidence of how someone keeps making choices and bad decisions that lead them to need saving rather than making a decision that will actively improve their life.

Glitch

There are some relationships that you know are bad for you. They hold you back, they’re constantly criticizing you, and you feel like a different person when you’re around them- in a bad way. That’s what JADE talks about in “Glitch”. She uses lyrics such as “How you keep killing my ambition” and “always got me feeling like I’m less than” to illustrate how the relationship is toxic and dulls her shine, and ultimately why it needs to end.

Before You Break My Heart

“Before You Break My Heart” demonstrates a devastating development where someone you love is starting to make mistreatment of you a habit. However, you still love them. JADE uses lyrics such as “you’re the one who inspired all my love songs” and “will you tell me that I’m worth your love” to illustrate how she still values the person who is starting to let her down, and how she wants things to work out

Silent Disco

“Silent Disco” begins with dreamy vocalizations and adlibs. This song is all about making a special connection with someone. With lyrics such as “might look a little stupid to them, but to us it’s something” and “but I pick you always”, “Silent Disco” tells the story of having something private but special and unique. Even if those on the outside don’t understand, it doesn’t matter. The ethereal vocals suggest a trancelike state in relationships that feel too good to be true.

In “That’s Showbiz Baby!”, JADE experiments with the pop genre, pushing it to its limits while remaining tasteful and artistically engaging. These tracks are absolutely addictive, and I can’t get enough of them. While writing this article, I couldn’t get two out of my head. “Midnight Cowboy” is deliciously catchy, and I can’t get enough of it. “Angel of My Dreams” is genuinely beautiful and demonstrates musical prowess that is evidence of a true artist. It is truly the perfect song to begin this album and hook audiences into her story immediately. I excitedly await more of JADE’s solo projects, but until then, I have a fantastic selection of songs to enjoy for the time being.

Written By Victoria Fitzgerald