JADE Album Review – A Track-by-Track review of THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
JADE album review That’s Showbiz Baby
After years of anticipation, JADE has finally released her debut solo album THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! (out today via RCA Records), and it’s every bit as bold, theatrical, and unapologetically her as fans hoped it would be.
The album is stacked with heavyweight collaborators, Mike Sabath, Lostboy, Cirkut, RAYE, Pablo Bowman, but what shines brightest is JADE’s own vision. Across the tracklist, she experiments with club beats, sultry innuendo, and heart-on-sleeve emotion while staying true to the storytelling instincts that first made her beloved as a solo artist.
Here’s our track-by-track JADE album review of THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY! a record that proves JADE’s solo chapter was well worth the wait.
I don’t want to retread old ground here – it’s the track that arguably put JADE singular on the map for it’s expert production, killer vocals and fresh take on the artist’s journey, and it’s as strong today as it was when we first heard and watched the spellbinding music video.
IT girl
A straight banger – with (dare I say) true Azealia Banks – 212 energy at the open that gets you right into the action. I challenge you to listen to the track while sitting still…you can’t can you?!
FUFN (Fuck You For Now)
Unapologetic, cathartic, and just a little tongue-in-cheek, “FUFN” is already a FAULT favourite. The hook bites hard, the production FAULTless and vocal strong enough to push through all the noise – I loved it when it first dropped and I love it now
Plastic Box
Unapologetic, cathartic, and just a little tongue-in-cheek, “FUFN” is already a FAULT favourite. The hook bites hard, the production FAULTless and vocal strong enough to push through all the noise – I loved it when it first dropped and I love it now
Midnight Cowboy
The opener immediately transported me into a neon-lit club scene straight out of a cult movie. The production is hypnotic, elevated by haunting, breathy background vocals, and a surprise uncredited feature from Ncuti Gatwa that fans online have been buzzing about. It’s a cinematic, confident start that feels like JADE pulling back the velvet curtain on her new world.
Fantasy
Pure fun. This is a high-energy, glossy ‘80s-influenced track that leans into camp and sparkle without losing its bite.
Unconditional
Here, JADE reveals a more vulnerable side. The hypnotic vocals still invite you to move, but there’s a gentleness to the production that stands apart from the album’s bigger moments. Personally, I found it good but not essential; it doesn’t fight for its space on the record. Still, it’s a welcome breather and showcases her vocal subtlety.
Self Saboteur
For me, this is one of the album’s strongest lyrically, with raw honesty and imagery that hits deep. That said, the production layers occasionally blur the song’s emotional core. It’s a reminder that not every confessional track needs to lean into ballad territory, but I did wish the message cut sharper through the haze.
Lip Service
While opinions have been divided online, I loved this track. It’s sexy without being raunchy, playful without being trivial. In a time when trad-wife culture is trying (and often failing) to push female artists to play it safe, JADE pushes forward, exploring sexuality through sharp, witty writing that never sacrifices quality for shock value. It’s one of the album’s boldest statements.
Headache
A punchy, beat-heavy number that keeps the energy high. It’s the kind of track that would light up a live show, but in the grand scheme of the record, it’s not one I found myself rushing back to. Fun in the moment, less memorable in the long run.
Natural at Disaster
A personal highlight. Opening tenderly with stripped-back vocals, the track swells into an atmospheric, synth-driven landscape while always keeping JADE’s voice front and centre. It reminded me of how much her vocal talent grounded Little Mix, and it’s hard not to imagine how her former group might have tackled this one. A beautiful balance of old and new.
Glitch
This track is all JADE. Mixing R&B smoothness with glitchy techno edges, it’s experimental yet surprisingly easy to listen to. More than anything, it cements her sonic identity it’s the kind of song you could only ever hear from JADE. That sense of ownership over her sound is exciting to witness so early in her solo career.
Before You Break My Heart
An unexpected gem that riffs on the spirit of the Motown classic Stop! In The Name of Love. JADE manages to pay homage while putting her own stamp on it, and it soared to become my personal favourite. Nostalgic yet fresh, it’s proof she knows how to honour the past while building her future.
Silent Disco
The closer is FAULTless. Equal parts theatrical and intimate, it pulls together every side of JADE we’ve heard so far, the club kid, the confessional, the experimentalist, into one perfect finale. Fans online have already called it a career-defining moment, and I’d have to agree. It’s the perfect curtain call to an album that announces her as not just a former girl-band star, but a fully realised solo artist.