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Formerly of British girl group Little Mix fame, Little Mix fame Jade Thirwall has fully embarked on her solo career with the release of her debut album THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! (which I will now stylize as SHOWBIZ! because of general laziness). Of course, internet gremlins that firmly reside in the pop music spheres will know that Jade had built up a good amount of hype leading up to this album with her explosive debut single “Angel Of My Dreams”, an eclectic and hyperactive single with an equally wild music video (linked above) reflecting on her time in the industry under the thumb of Little Mix’s former manager and human parasite Simon Cowell and his SYCO label.

Being a bit of a fan of early Little Mix, I was very aware of their (mostly) amicable breakup and upcoming solo careers and therefore was anxiously looking forward to each of the members’ solo output – ‘anxious’ being the clear word here. After all, Jesy Nelson’s departure in 2020 and ensuing solo career had not been received with much grace, and it wasn’t quite clear if the remaining girls would be able to bring the personality and flair necessary to solidify their solo identities. Indeed, though I enjoy Perrie and Leigh-Anne’s voice, I didn’t feel that their solo work had the amount of bite and ambition needed for them to fully shake the label.

So I was very pleasantly surprised when “Angel Of My Dreams” dropped, as you can probably tell from the introduction, and it showed that Jade was able to display a special familiarity with the pop space and what was capturing people’s attention right now. More than anything, I was just happy to see the willingness of Jade to release a debut single (as a solo artist) that actually tries something new – “Angel Of My Dreams” is a song that gave me whiplash (complimentary). It flipflops between melodic singing to bass-boosted segments reminiscent of hyperpop at breakneck speed, layered with fun production. It perfectly encapsulates Jade’s complex feelings on her fame, how fame can be both seductive and intoxicating, as well as being exploitative at the same time. The song was an undeniable risk for a debut single that, luckily for Jade, paid off at least critically. It might not have been a great commercial success, but it is arguable that in this day and age it is more important to build a solid fan base rather than chart success, and “Angel Of My Dreams” built the much-needed momentum for her solo career.

Flash forward to more than a year later in what was a surprisingly lengthy album rollout, Jade finally released her debut album. As an unabashed lover of pop music with a fascination in the culture surrounding it, I was pretty excited to see if the rest of Jade’s album would live up to the quality of her lead single.

Indeed, the rest of the album explores similar ideas of disappointments with the industry and Jade’s own insecurities in her relationships and personal life. The lyrics do feel earnest – if lacking in a bit of subtlety – and congruent with Jade’s brand of being the flashy, wounded popstar, though on the overall there is nothing lyrically here that is particularly special, and I have to admit that some lines made me cringe a little, but also my love for “Angel Of My Dreams” was not primarily owed to lyrics like “when the camera flash-y”, so I can’t say I was expecting Joni Mitchell on the rest of the album.

The highlight here, as was the case with “Angel Of My Dreams”, is clearly the production. It is undeniable that most of the album is part of the catchy, disco/synth-pop wave that seems to be turning into more of a standard framework for recent pop music, but SHOWBIZ! mostly distinguishes itself from the rest of the crop with abrasive production choices that echo through the entire album with varying degrees of freshness. Heavy, metallic production frequently blends with Jade’s spacey, charismatic vocals that really bring the overall hollow-but-glitzy vibe of the rest of the project that make the listening experience extremely enjoyable even through some of the less inspired tracks like “IT Girl” and “Headache” that sort of seem to be attempts to replicate the whiplash of “Angel Of My Dreams”.

I’d say I generally enjoyed the album even though only a couple tracks really stood out to me (apart from “Angel Of My Dreams”, which I will shut up about now), namely the surprisingly tender “Unconditional” and the sentimental ballad “Silent Disco”. I think SHOWBIZ! works more as the sum of its parts, as it’s primary goal is to showcase Jade’s musical style and her musical influences. Disco and Y2K production is clearly the main influence here with Jade showcasing her flair for the dramatic, but you also have tracks like “Before You Break My Heart”, “Lip Service” that showcase a softer, more sensual side of Jade’s style.

It is a really strong introduction to Jade as a solo artist that for the most part managed to sell me on her potential to be a main pop girl – now we just have to wait for the mainstream sensibilities to catch up.

Best Track(s): “Angel of My Dreams”, “Unconditional”, “Silent Disco”

Rating: 7.0/10