Critics Weigh In On Whether Jade Thirlwall's Solo Album Lives Up To The Hype

Jade Thirlwall is currently promoting her debut single Angel Of My DreamsIt’s now been three years since Little Mix began their ongoing hiatus, and over a year since Jade Thirlwall released her experimental debut solo single Angel Of My Dreams.Since then, Jade has won her first solo Brit Award (as well as delivering the stand-out performance of the night), delivered show-stopping sets at festivals like Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Glastonbury and Mighty Hoopla, opened for woman of the hour Chappell Roan on tour and bounced from genre to genre on follow-up singles like IT Girl, Fantasy and Plastic Box.After building the hype over a series of months, Jade’s long-awaited solo album That’s Showbiz Baby! finally premiered on Friday, lifting the lid on her past experiences in the music industry as well as exploring themes like modern romance and diving into some of her personal relationships.Even when she was still in Little Mix, the bar was set pretty high when it came to Jade’s solo music, and as time has gone on, many have questioned whether it would ever be possible for her – or, indeed, anyone – to meet those expectations.Well, judging from the reviews for That’s Showbiz Baby!, she’s only gone and done it.Critics have been lauding Jade for her everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to curating her first solo album, as well as hailing her lyricism and vocal performance in a sea of four-star reviews (indeed, the only one we could find that wasn’t four stars was, in fact, a perfect score).Jade on stage during Radio 1's Big Weekend earlier this yearHere’s a selection of what’s been said about Jade’s That’s Showbiz Baby! so far…The Guardian (4/5) “In its most bravura moments, That’s Showbiz Baby! sounds Jade holding a pose breathless in the spotlight after a dazzling turn, no idea how she quite pulled it off, letting pretenders know how it’s done.”NME (4/5) “The South Shields singer has more experience than most artists on their debut album, given she’s been a member of Little Mix for over a decade and has navigated the music industry since she was 18. But look beyond that, and you’ll realise how cleverly she understands and uses her craft, how she plays with trends and genres to truly make them her own.”Rolling Stone (4/5) “That’s Showbiz Baby!, Jade’s first album on her own, isn’t as wall-to-wall delirious as [lead single Angel Of My Dreams] – but it is a fun, frothy pop album where the onetime Simon Cowell mentee thrills in the dancefloor’s unpredictable abandon and her own power. She balances her vocal range, which can shape-shift from a full-throated belt into a cloud-borne coo.”Jade on stage at the 2025 Brit AwardsBillboard“That’s Showbiz Baby! channels sensuality, anger and freedom, as Jade takes sonic cues from her diva elders Diana Ross, Madonna and Janet Jackson, as well as newer visionaries like Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish. In her pursuit of pop stardom, the singer builds out a distinct, dazzlingly ornate record while honouring those who informed her musical education.”The Independent (4/5) “The highs on That’s Showbiz Baby! are so thrillingly nutty that it’s hard not to be all-in with the idea of [Jade] as Britain’s galaxy-brained saviour of pop – at least by the time album two rolls around.”The i Paper (4/5)“That’s Showbiz Baby! is a fantastically assured debut that, with its heavy dance influences, manages to feel deeply of the moment. Most impressively, with that soprano cry (her vocal is outstanding) it is already idiosyncratic, even as Jade pays her dues to pop old and new. Pursuing solo projects never sounded so exciting.”The Line Of Best Fit (8/10) “That’s Showbiz Baby! should be the blueprint for new artists breaking through. This debut shows a woman free to make the music she wants to, and boy does she do it well. She can put on the mask for any style she pleases, but we’re always aware of the artist underneath – never lost in the costume, always in control.”DIY (5/5) “Hers was a run of singles of such consistent quality that you couldn’t help but think - has JADE already played all the best cards in her hand? In a word: no. The latter half of That’s Showbiz Baby! is a dizzying journey through genre, era, and Jekyll and Hyde dynamic shifts that more than lives up to the vitality of its previews.”MORE MUSIC NEWS:Ireland's Broadcaster Says It Will Not Compete In Eurovision Next Year If Israel ReturnsSabrina Carpenter Shows Solidarity With Trans Community During Jam-Packed VMAs PerformanceLewis Capaldi Calls Out 'Not Fair' Double Standard For Women In Pop Music

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