Toward the end of her set during her sold-out headlining show at House of Blues Thursday, British singer JADE had a message for the music industry: “Clause in the contract, contract gone, gone is the girl that you could con,” she intoned on “It Girl,” standing firm on an elevated platform over a house beat.
During the nearly hour-and-a-half-long set, JADE delivered a rousing full-on production that both celebrated and critiqued pop stardom, showcasing the talents of one of the genre’s brightest, but underrated stars.
A consummate performer, JADE commanded the stage for the duration of her nearly hour-and-a-half-long set, working in costume changes and near-constant choreography as her dynamic vocals remained virtually pitch-perfect. Devoted fans packed in tight and sang along to every word, some sporting wigs, angel wings and other recreations of the pop star’s looks.
After an 11-year stint with the popular girl group Little Mix, she released her debut album, “That’s Showbiz, Baby,” in September, a masterful blend of several eras of pop music, including 1960s Motown-style choruses, 1970s disco grooves, 1980s synth pop, Y2K bubble gum hooks, 2010s EDM-centered anthems, and the unhinged ethos of hyperpop. Beneath the catchy, saccharine surface is a meditation on the music industry — its predatory contracts, impossible standards for young women, bloodlust for capital over creativity and the pressure to grin, bear it and put on a good show.
Thursday’s delicate dance with grim and glitz and composure and camp began with Ethel Merman’s voice, warbling, “There’s no business like show business,” as a miniature stage was wheeled before the audience, adorned with red velvet curtains. JADE’s two dancers twirled with large black-feathered fans and a showman’s voiceover encouraged audience members to “forget real life” and “live the full fantasy” — making for a smoke-filled cabaret illusion, aided by House of Blues’ ornate, gold-flecked stage and eccentric hand-painted decor.
The crowd broke into deafening cheers at the sight of JADE’s arm reaching from behind the curtain and the sound of her singing the beginning bars of “FUFN (F— You For Now),” a slow-building synth pop number with shades of early Lady Gaga. She eventually stepped through the frame as the curtain was pulled. She shimmered in a black long-sleeve jumpsuit, seemingly covered in hundreds of sequins, a feathered tutu and and silver chain pasties to compound the campy cabaret nod.
One highlight in a night full of many came when she performed “Glitch. Her dancers shadowed her, jutting out their bodies in fits and starts as she pretended to battle them, while reaching in her upper register to sing about fighting her inner demons, before working in chair choreography reminiscent of 1990s Britney Spears. That blended into a cover of Madonna’s “Frozen,” from 1998, which saw JADE belt over deep synths and Giorgio Moroder-like arpeggios that built into a fast-paced Italian disco scene, complete with flashing lights and spinning mirror ball.
JADE’s references are a culmination of a life spent performing and more than 15 years in the music industry — staking her own claim in pop history. Born Jade Thirlwall, the 33-year-old got her start on the “X Factor,” where she was eventually signed to Simon Cowell’s record label as a member of Little Mix in 2011. Several world tours, albums and chart-topping singles later, the group halted in 2022.
Unmoored, she embarked on a solo venture — a daunting feat, she said in between songs on Thursday. She said that writing her solo debut motivated her to turn inward, be vulnerable and also reflect on her career so far.
“[I said] f— it, I’ll just write about my experience in the music industry.” Though, she continued, “the main part I love about being a pop star is you,” she told the crowd of adoring fans.
Songs like “Before You Break My Heart” were an ode to her inner child, she explained, pointing to the song’s feature: a sample of her as a kid singing The Supremes’ classic “Stop! In the Name of Love.” She cited Diana Ross as her idol, before singing while clad in a sparkling silver robe covered in tinsel and a cape connected to her dancers — think Nick Cave at Studio 54.
In addition to being a triumph for the pop veteran and an opportunity to revel in creative autonomy, Thursday also worked as a kind of payoff for her fans. There, in the close confines of the midsize venue, JADE could see and connect with the majority-Millennial crowd, made up largely of longtime fans, share stories behind songs and express gratitude.
“Shoutout to my LGBTQ+ community,” she said, asking if anyone from the community was present, prompting raucous cheers. “I promise I’ll always be an ally, I’ll always stand up for you time and time again … I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for you.”
Later, a red velvet curtain appeared onstage again, this time draped over JADE like a cloak, as she belted the ballad, “Natural at Disaster.” It was the show’s production value at its best: her voice soared with each hit-you-in-the-chest escalation in the chorus, then she shed her cloak on the song’s bridge to reveal a red velvet corsetted dress with a gold tassel at the hip, as if she’d become one with the stage.
JADE ended the night with “Angel of my Dreams,” a song she considers the start of her solo career, she said. Like “It Girl,” the song speaks to the harrowing, bittersweet pursuit of a pop career. She beckoned the crowd to sing the chorus a capella with her, a tender moment interrupted by the song’s brilliantly abrasive structure.
She disappeared in a foggy darkness as strobe lights flashed, resurfacing in the spotlight with a large pair of wings and prop arrows to her chest. Singing “I’ll always love you,” she doubled over in a moment of high drama, inspiring rapturous cheers.
The intensity was cut by the return of the campy burlesque music and voiceover, telling the crowd to put their hands together. She rose, smiled and bowed, having toyed with the thin veil between pure emotion and performance.
It capped an electrifying gig by a devout music fan and innovator coveting her unique position as pop’s genre’s past, present and future.
JADE set list for Feb. 12 show at House of Blues
FUFN (F— You for Now)
Headache
Before You Break My Heart
Unconditional
Fantasy
Self Saboteur
Lip Service
Plastic Box
Glitch
Frozen (Madonna cover)
This Is What We Dance For
Costume change medley: Gimme More / TiK ToK / Don’t Stop the Music / Hung Up / Party in the U.S.A. / Sandstorm
Natural At Disaster
Midnight Cowboy
Wasabi (Little Mix)
Gossip (Confidence Man & JADE)
IT girl
Silent Disco
Church
Angel of My Dreams