Image: Conor Cunningham
Published: 22 July 2024

JADE, better know as Jade Thirlwell of Little Mix, has launched her solo career with the release of her powerful debut single ‘Angel Of My Dreams’.

Written by Jade with Steph Jones (Sabrina Carpenter's ‘Espresso’), Pablo Bowman (Calvin Harris' ‘Miracle’) and produced by Mike Sabath (RAYE), the track is an outstanding, bombastic track - in the best possible way - that veers between multiple genres, tempos and pace, abruptly changing paths, taking you completely by surprise. Starting off with a sample from the Sandie Shaw 1967 classic ‘Puppet On A String’, it moves between dark, broody electronica with a thumping beat leading it a tinge of rock, before morphing into a hyper pop, synth filled chorus. It finishes with a fabulously overblown closer, slowing down into a power ballad glam rock cross.

The song represents Jade’s relationship with pop music which switches between love and hate. ‘I will always love you and hate you / It's not fair / It's so bittеrsweet / I will always want you and need you / You don't care,” she sings.

“What I'm going for is a relentless, huge pop punch to the face. I want people to be like 'oh my god, I didn't expect that' – but then want to listen to it again,” Jade says of the song. “I didn't want to do a safe first single, that was really important to me. I'm setting the tone of who I am as an artist on my own. I want people to hear it and be like 'what the fuck is that song?'. My worst nightmare is for someone to hear my song and go 'that's nice'. It's about how obsessed I am with the industry – so there are lyrics like “love when you call me a star” – but also there's the dark side that comes with that. It's not as glam as it seems.”

Jade also comments on how ‘Angel of My Dreams’ ties in perfectly with the renaissance of female fronted pop music. “This dawn of pop girls giving people everything is so exciting,” she says. “It couldn't be better timing for my music. I'm so proud of it and I can say that with chest. The fans have waited long enough so now we just want to give it to them".

Also out now is the music video of ‘Angel of My Dreams’. Directed by Aube Perrie (Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion), and filmed over four days, the video was inspired by movies The Fifth Element, Showgirls and Black Swan, and features different versions of Jade all fighting for the spotlight.

“There’s 11 looks in the video! The concept is sort of rags to riches It was emotional actually because for one bit I’m busking and walking past a Sainsbury’s Local. When I was 16, I would stand outside my local Sainsbury’s and sing Christmas songs,” she says.

A momentous, extremely impressive start to her career, ‘Angel of My Dreams’ is the stuff pop dreams are made of. Left of field, experimental but undeniably captivating, it both continues Jade’s impressive music career but also the birth of a new powerful voice in pop.

‘Angel Of My Dreams’ is out now via Sony Music. You can buy and stream here.
Follow Jade on Instagram and TikTok.