That’s Showbiz Baby! And JADE is the Star
JADE’S highly anticipated debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby!, is finally here after years of her fans asking.
The 14-track album offers a refreshing blend of disco-pop and sensuality, while incorporating a nod to musical theatre through the many stories she tells in her powerful lyrics in each song.
The Little Mix alum had been on a hiatus from the group for about three years before officially transitioning into her solo career last year by dropping her first single, Angel of My Dreams.
Angel of My Dreams is the first track off the album – a mix of pop, ethereal, and ballad elements while hinting at her complicated relationship with the music industry, especially during her Little Mix days. When the song was first released, it debuted #7 on the UK’s Official Singles chart, and has racked up over 50 million streams on Spotify to date.
The second single JADE released, Midnight Cowboy is one which she herself describes as “a sultry, understated bass-heavy bop about owning your sexuality and your talents that come with it.” It’s definitely a song that radiates empowerment and, honestly, also makes you want to create your own choreography to the track, too. But it doesn’t just end there.
Throughout her album, JADE continues to explore bold and sultry elements with songs off the album, including Fantasy, Lip Service (off track, but can we talk about the transition from the ending of Self-Saboteur to the beginning of Lip Service? Iconic), FUFN (Fuck You For Now) and IT girl. With certain lyrics like “Baby, back off out my face right now, Don’t you tell me to calm down, No more words, just fuck you for now.” and “I’m not your thing, I’m not your baby doll, No puppet on a string, This bitch can’t be controlled,” they’re all definitely alluding to themes like self-liberation, defiance, embracing sexuality, and unapologetic boldness.
We just have to stan.
In contrast, JADE offers a softer, more emotional touch to the song Unconditional, but with a funky disco pop twist, in which JADE tells Capital Buzz that this song is a love letter to her mother.
“The day that I wrote ‘Unconditional’ my mum was in hospital. She’s got lupus, and she’s been in and out of hospital my whole life. The song is about wishing I could just fix her with my unconditional love. It’s obviously sad but it’s still got, like, a disco element to it.”
It’s a song that makes you want to dance…. through the tears.
Although the first few tracks from the album offer a glimpse into JADE’s sensual side, as the album goes along, we get a little glimpse into the vulnerable side of JADE. With tracks like Before You Break My Heart, which, fun fact, the beginning of the song is actually JADE’s younger self singing the chorus of Stop! In the Name of Love by The Supremes, which I think is pretty excellent, and ballads like Silent Disco and Natural at Disaster, do a great job at expressing her vulnerability.
Plastic Box, another fan-favourite that was amongst one of the popular singles JADE released, is track number four off the album.
JADE says that “‘Plastic Box’ is about that irrational and toxic insecurity within us when we think about our partner’s previous relationships, even though we know everyone has a past. It’s a happy-sad pop song and one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written.”
And it’s definitely one of my favourites to listen to. It not only has this great fast-paced beat, but the lyrics tell a story that most people may relate to, but at the same time, it’s a fun song to dance to.
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! is easily one of the greatest pop albums we’ve encountered in a while. The album is bold, unapologetic, and overflowing with emotional depth and pop excellence, with some disco vibes scattered throughout. Not to mention, it’s inspired by some of her childhood influences like Madonna, Diana Ross, and musical theatre, as mentioned previously.
The songs offer a chaotic but cohesive blend of both empowering and heartfelt lyrics, and most importantly, you can tell this is a project JADE put 100% of her time, heart, and energy into creating. The long wait was undoubtedly worthwhile, and it is evident that her deep passion for pop music is what makes this album truly special.
THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! is not only a love letter to pop music as a genre, but also to herself.
