5 rising music stars you need to know in 2025
Jade is set to become a solo star following her success with Little Mix.
Courtesy of RCA Records
Jade, aka Jade Thirlwall, broke into the music industry in 2011 as one-fourth of the popular British girl group Little Mix.
Four became three in 2020, when Jesy Nelson left the group to make reductive hip-hop knock-offs. The remaining trio announced a hiatus in 2021 to focus on solo projects.
Superstars have come out of groups in the past — Beyoncé from Destiny’s Child, Justin Timberlake from *NSYNC, Harry Styles from One Direction — and if Jade continues down the trail she’s been blazing, she very well could be the next name on that list.
The now-mononymous artist, 32, released three solo singles in 2024, each as thrilling as the last. The first, “Angel of My Dreams,” was widely praised for its avant-garde music video, conceptual lyrics, and experimental structure; it was crowned as the year’s No. 1 best pop song by Stereogum and third-best overall by The New York Times.
Its follow-up, “Midnight Cowboy,” is a bass-heavy banger that features a sexy spoken-word intro by “Barbie” star Ncuti Gatwa, while “Fantasy” is a disco-infused burst of energy that’s spurred ahead by a set of remixes with Channel Tres and Alex Chapman.
Jade is harnessing her existing star power in all the right ways: to execute outré ideas, bring in the coolest collaborators, and put a fresh spin on existing pop trends.
Her debut solo album is expected to arrive this year, but fans won’t have to wait long for another delicious breadcrumb; her new single, “It Girl,” is already available to pre-save.
