"Angel of My Dreams" is the debut solo single by English singer and songwriter Jade. It was released on 19 July 2024, through RCA Records.[1] and marks her first solo endeavour after Little Mix began their hiatus in May 2022.[2] Jade co-wrote the song with Steph Jones, Pablo Bowman and its producer Mike Sabath. Because of the sample of the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest winning song "Puppet on a String" by English singer Sandie Shaw which is played at the beginning and end of the track, Bill Martin and Phil Coulter received writing credits.
"Angel of My Dreams" received widespread acclaim from critics with praise given towards the track lyrics, use of sample, and exploration of different genres. It was named by Billboard as one of the best singles released in 2024, and lyrically addresses her complex relationship with the music industry, with references made to Syco Music and Simon Cowell.[3][4][5] The music video pays homage to Thirlwall's home town of South Shields, and features home footage from her childhood including her audition from The X Factor UK. The music video was inspired by the films The Fifth Element, Black Swan and Showgirls.[6][7][8][9]
Background and release
After Little Mix went on a previously announced hiatus following the conclusion of the Confetti Tour in May 2022, Thirlwall began working on her solo projects and music.[10] On 2 July 2024, she revealed the artwork and the release date of "Angel of My Dreams" to all of her and her team's social media accounts.[11] The single and its accompanying music video were released on 19 July 2024.[12][13] On the same day, Jade's name and the name of the song were projected onto the Angel of the North sculpture to commemorate the release.[14]
The track was also made available for purchase as a 7-inch vinyl single,[15] a cassette single[16] and a CD single through Jade's online store.[17] On 9 August 2024, Jade released a "Slow. Angelic. Dramatic." version of the track, alongside with an official live performance being uploaded onto her YouTube channel.[8] A remix version with American DJ, The Blessed Madonna, was also released.[6]
Upon the song's release, Jade said: "I want people to be like 'oh my god, I didn't expect that' – but then want to listen again". She added: "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".[3] Some commentators speculated over references made to her past career, particularly the lyrics "Sold my soul to a psycho" with the term "psycho" alluding to Syco Entertainment, a record label that Little Mix was previously signed to from 2011 and 2018.[25] Jade told Beat Magazine that she did not intend to disparage her time with Syco but she wanted the lyrics and production of the song to reflect her overall journey navigating the music industry.[26]
The video for "Angel of My Dreams" was directed by Aube Perrie and filmed in London in April 2024. Among the filming locations were Deptford High Street and the Laban building.[28] It details the story of Jade's career in the music industry and opens with a shot of her walking alongside a busy high street, reminiscent of her hometown of South Shields. In the video, she is seen busking on the high street, before it transitions into different scenes where she plays various personas. It features home footage of Jade performing as a child and includes clips from when she auditioned for The X Factor UK.[29] Inspirations for the video were also drawn from the films Showgirls (1995), The Fifth Element (1997) and Black Swan (2010).[30] Speaking to Billboard, Jade shared that Britney Spears' video for "Lucky' was also among inspirations, adding: "I am obsessed with pop and looking at all the pop girlies that I love, they are the ones doing the absolute most. Like the looks, the choreo, the big songs, big choruses ... that is what I want to deliver."[31]
"Angel of My Dreams" was met with widespread acclaim from critics.[39][40] In an exclusive first-listen with Official Charts Company, George Griffiths described the song as "a bold and complex introduction to an artist who is determined to twist and test the boundaries of commercial pop music". They drew comparisons to Jennifer Rush, Rachel Stevens and Harry Styles, stating that the beginning of the track has "heavenly, swooning synths straight out of a 80spower-ballad" while incorporating different genres and electronic elements. They also called it surprising, shocking, and will turn aways from expectations.[20] Nick Reilly from Rolling Stone UK described it as "A bold, unrepentant start to Jade's life as a solo star". They added how "it starts with the most distinctive distorted sample of Sandie Shaw's 'Puppet On A String', before it makes way for a production-heavy, Mariah-esque chorus". Praise was also given towards its lyrical content and sample "noting that the lyrics are spicy, and while the sample seems random, the idea of being a puppet on a string perfectly fits the ethos of the song".[41]
Alistair James from Attitude complimented Thirlwall's vocals, describing "It as Jade demonstrating her angelic and rich vocals. The beat then kicks in and becomes a song we can easily imagine filling the dancefloors this summer".[2] Writing for Clash, Robin Murray gave "Angel of My Dreams" a eight out of ten star rating, describing the song as "a career of success and frustration packed into three minutes, a bold, bravura statement of frenetic creativity, while it's ludicrously colourful, a ridiculously entertaining side-step that utterly wipes the slate clean".[4]Gay Times' Sam Damshenas, praised both the song and music video, saying: "Jade has delivered the most addictive and innovative debut single and video in recent memory". Furthermore they described it as "A dance-pop anthem, that takes an experimental approach to pop with several distinct sections, from the theatrical balladry of the chorus to the thumping electro verses".[22]
The Tab's Harrison Brocklehurst named it "one of the best pop debuts in recent times". They also added "The way the chorus tempo can sometimes be giving Juice Newton 80s power balladry one minute, and then Y2KClubland the second time around is just genius work. The whole thing bursts with originality and excitement for what pop music can be when boundaries get pushed".[42] In their review of the song, Billboard contributor Conor Cunningham named "Angel of My Dreams" as one of the best single releases in 2024, describing it as "original and attention grabbing". In the article, they added "'Angel of My Dreams' crackles with well-drawn sonic features, but with the tension between its dreamy bubblegum chorus and steely robo-thump verses representing the warmth of the spotlight and cold behind-the-scenes realities. Regardless of its chart prospects, Jade's solo debut is too bold to go unnoticed and her next move deserves to be hotly anticipated".[19]Women in Pop called the song 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," also commenting the song was "a momentous, extremely impressive start to her career...it both continues Jade’s impressive music career but also the birth of a new powerful voice in pop."[43]
In their review of the song, Stardust described it as a "powerful solo debut that reflects her evolved sense of artistry and resilience". Praise was given towards the music video for its storytelling and visualisation, adding how it "cleverly incorporates symbolic gestures from her own experiences as she’s coerced by greedy corporate men abusing power with a contract signed in blood and a ring symbolizing the binding nature of the entertainment business. Through choreography and visual storytelling, Jade uses these life-changing moments to convey a powerful message about identity and self-discovery".[44]
Commercial performance
"Angel of My Dreams" reached number two on the UK Singles Sales Chart, UK Singles Downloads Chart, and topped the UK Physical Singles Chart and Official Vinyl Singles Chart. Upon its initial release, it debuted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the third highest debut for a single by a British artist in 2024.[45] Following the release of the "S.A.D." version, "Angel of My Dreams" returned to the top 10 of the chart at number ten, making her the first Little Mix member to have a solo single spend two weeks inside of the top ten.[46] It was certified silver by the BPI in October 2024, and has spent a total of 14 weeks on the UK charts.
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