Jade Thirlwall launches solo career with 'Angel of My Dreams' video

Jade Thirlwall, former member of the girl group Little Mix, has officially launched her solo career with the release of her debut single, "Angel of My Dreams," and its accompanying music video. The video, directed by Aube Perrie, showcases Thirlwall's diverse artistic vision and marks a significant departure from her days with Little Mix.

Vogue reported that the music video, filled with sudden makeovers and sonic shifts, represents Thirlwall's journey from busking outside supermarkets as a 16-year-old in South Shields to her rise to fame on The X Factor and her decade-long career with Little Mix. "It’s Jade exploring her own multiplicities through comedic, larger-than-life caricatures," explained her creative director, Claire Arnold. "It’s the real world with an XXL button."

Thirlwall, the last member of Little Mix to embark on a solo project since the band's separation in 2021, spoke about her need to redefine success on her terms. “Little Mix was such a machine and there was so much pressure to be ‘huge’,” she told Vogue. “I had been programmed to feel like I had to constantly be in the public eye for 11 years, and so I’ve struggled with feeling ‘relevant’ since taking a step back.”

The "Angel of My Dreams" video features Thirlwall in a variety of personas, from a busking teenager to a Hollywood diva. Arnold described the project as "an unexpected… chaos,” while Thirlwall herself sees it as a reflection of the music industry. “It’s a reflection of the industry I’m addicted to despite hating what it so often stands for,” she said.

Thirlwall's debut also marks her entry into the fashion space, with stylists Zack Tate and Jamie McFarland dressing her in pieces from brands like Diesel, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Miu Miu. “I think the goal of any artist is to be in the fashion space,” Thirlwall noted. “But it can sometimes be hard to achieve that in a band, because everyone has different tastes, and so it’s quite liberating to do this alone.”