"Angel Of My Dreams" by JADE // Song Review

-

"Angel Of My Dreams" is such an unexpected and unique direction for JADE to be taking with her debut single, in all of the best ways. To enter into a new chapter of her career as a solo artist with a song that serves as such a poignant and defiant commentary on how fickle fame can be and opening up about her own experiences in the music industry is such a powerful note to open on.

Coming out of Little Mix - one of the most successful girl groups in history, who went on hiatus in 2021 - this song serves as a bold reintroduction of who JADE is as a solo artist. She opens up about the love/hate relationship she has with fame and the industry as a whole, with such an unfiltered approach. "Angel of my dreams, I will always love you and hate you, it's not fair, it's so bittersweet, I will always want you and need you, you don't care," she sings in the chorus. 

The song is so captivating and doesn't follow the traditional pop song structure at all. It opens right into the bold chorus, and continues to take so many different turns throughout the three minute track. It's so theatrical and allows her story to unfold in such a raw, glittering, and unapologetically grand way. With this song, she was somehow able to describe her entire journey thus far - it's a powerful story of ambition, heartbreak and reinvention. 

"What I'm going for is a pop punch to the face. I want people to be like 'oh my god, I didn't expect that' – but then want to listen again," JADE said in a press release. "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'."

When writing the song with collaborators Steph Jones, Pablo Bowman and producer Mike Sabath, JADE was originally going to frame these complicated feelings through the lens of a romantic relationship, but ultimately wanted to be transparent and let the listener in on what it's really about.

"Care if I cry, care if I die, you only care about money, sellin' my soul to a psycho, they say I'm so lucky, better act like you're lucky, honey," she sings in the opening verse. It has such grand, maximalist production, to compare it to anything else would be doing a disservice to how innovative this is for the genre. She leans into an abrasive, distorted Euro dance sound, with such a distinctive strength to her vocal performance that cuts right through the chaos of the production. 

"Angel Of My Dreams" serves as the lead single and first track off of JADE's long-awaited debut album, THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! - which is set to be released in September 2025. It perfectly sets the stage for what's to come with the rest of the record. The way she closes the song with the words, "I will always love you" feels especially powerful. It feels like a symbolic turning point, not just narratively for the rest of her debut album, but as a way to reclaim her voice and artistry on her own terms at the start of her solo journey. 




Check out more from my song of the week series here. ☆ Thanks for reading!


Photo Credit: JADE, Sony Music UK



Related Posts:

My Favorite Songs of 2024





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

"party 4 u" by Charli xcx // Song Review

-
Image
"party 4 u" by Charli xcx is a euphoric anthem of unrequited love, a song full of glittering synths and raw emotion. She sings about throwing an entire party with the hopes that just the one person she wants to see the most will be there - a very Gatsby theme that she translated so well into this song. It is featured on her 2020 album how i'm feeling now , which was largely created in isolation and released in the thick of the pandemic in May of that year. She worked with her frequent collaborator, A.G. Cook , on this song and the rest of the album. By the time the pandemic started, they only had about half of the album finished, so they decided to go with a DIY approach while finishing the rest of how i'm feeling now .  "party 4 u" had a much longer history by that point though, as Charli said in an interview with Apple Music. "This is the oldest song on the album. For myself and A. G., this song has so much life and story," Charli said. "We...
Read more

"Spring Into Summer" by Lizzy McAlpine // Song Review

-
Image
Lizzy McAlpine 's "Spring Into Summer" is a beautifully written reflection on the cyclical nature of relationships, using the changing seasons as a powerful metaphor for love, regret, and personal growth. The song captures both the melancholy act of letting go and the hope that comes with stepping into a new season of life, embracing change despite knowing that the cycle will inevitably continue. It signals change after the darkness of winter, carrying a sense of warmth and renewal as summer approaches. At the same time, it carries this anticipation that the fall will eventually come again. As always, Lizzy's intimate storytelling shines through in the lyricism, beautifully depicting the emotional transitions that this song represents. "Spring into summer, and the winter's gone, I try to hold on to it, but the current's too strong, somebody finds me in the state I am, love you like I mean it when I know I can't," she sings in the opening lines. I...
Read more

"Wait a Minute!" by Willow // Song Review

-
Image
"Wait A Minute!" by Willow is such a captivating and introspective song, one that continues to stand out as a highlight from her early work. This song effortlessly blends experimental neo-funk sounds with emotional complexity. Wanting to stop and reflect for a moment amidst a chaotic situation, "Wait A Minute!" gives honest insight into her thoughts on growing up, falling in love and exploring her spirituality. The ethereal and atmospheric production, paired with her engaging vocal delivery really makes this song so memorable. "Hold on, wait a minute, feel my heart's intention, oh," she sings in the chorus, "Hold on, wait a minute, I left my consciousness in the sixth dimension, left my soul in his vision, let's go get it, oh, oh".  This song was featured as the thirteenth track on her 2015 debut album  Ardipithecus, but it didn't start gaining traction until around 2019 as one of the first notable songs to go viral on TikTok, which a...
Read more

Addison by Addison Rae // Debut Album Review

-
Image
Addison Rae 's self-titled debut album is a refreshingly sincere and euphoric burst of pop, glittering with personality and unshakable self-belief. She brings a radiant dose of positivity with her music, which not only shines throughout this entire album, but also reflects in her public persona as well. She is the girl she says she is, which makes even the campiest, tongue-in-cheek lyrics feel rooted in something genuine. Addison fills a space in pop that's been missing: something playful, glitzy, and heartfelt all at once. "It's a journey, the music is very introspective," Addison said in an interview with Elle. She added that it is "...kind of a look in the mirror at myself and I think a very optimistic approach at the hard times in life." Despite her uniquely unconventional rise as one of the earliest breakout TikTok stars, Addison has managed to carve out a new lane for herself, one that far surpasses her social media beginnings. She has been build...
Read more

The Best Songs of June 2025 // New Music Friday!

-
Image
"David" by Lorde A day as special as this only comes around once every four years! Lorde finally released her long-awaited fourth album,  Virgin ,   and it's everything I hoped it would be and more. It offers a glimpse into her mind in the most unfiltered, raw way. There are so many songs that I love and feel so connected to, but I was truly speechless after hearing the closing track "David" for the first time. There is something so haunting and cathartic about this song, it is such a powerful way to close this incredible record.  Check out my full review of Virgin by Lorde! "Times Like These" by Addison Rae "Times Like These" is one of the many standout tracks off of Addison's self-titled album , which is overall such a confident and clear debut from one of pop's most exciting new artists. This is one of the most vulnerable and heartbreakingly honest moments of the album, which feels so representative of the greater storyline of Addi...
Read more