Little Mix alum JADE opens up after Lollapalooza debut, says spotlight is 'brewing' in US
The show marked JADE's first appearance at a U.S. festival since going solo.
Little Mix alum JADE is opening up about her solo set at this year's Lollapalooza, saying she feels her spotlight in the U.S. as a solo star is "brewing."
"It felt phenomenal. It felt correct," JADE, 33, told ABC News on Sunday following her Lollapalooza set in Chicago's Grant Park.
The singer, born Jade Thirlwall, performed on the closing day of the four-day festival, her first appearance at a U.S. music festival since launching her solo career.
"That crowd was huge," she said. "I never know what to expect, and honestly, I would have been gagged if it had been a quarter of that audience."
Thirlwall said the response has followed her beyond the festival gates.
"Even when I've been walking around the last couple of days, people recognize me here," she said. "I'm like, 'Oh, OK. It's brewing.'"
Thirlwall spent a decade in Little Mix, the British girl group that in 2011 became the first group to win the U.K. reality competition series "The X Factor."
Little Mix released six albums, landed 19 top 10 singles in the U.K. -- including five No. 1s -- and became the first girl group to win the BRIT Award for British Group before announcing a hiatus in 2022.
Thirlwall's solo debut, "Angel of My Dreams," reached the top 10 of the U.K. singles chart in 2024 and earned a song of the year nomination at the 2025 BRIT Awards, also winning best pop act. Her debut album, "That's Showbiz Baby!", released in September to critical acclaim and a No. 3 debut on the U.K. albums chart.
In February, Thirlwall was nominated for artist of the year and pop act at the 2026 BRITs.
Asked which song from the album made her nervous before its release, Thirlwall pointed to "It girl," the club track that gave the album its title and was released as a promotional single in January 2025 without a full single rollout.
"I feel like 'It girl' is 'Angel's' bratty little sister," she said. "'Angel' has elements of tragedy. There's almost a ballad essence to it, even though it's got that stomping kick to it. 'It girl' just says it how it is. It's in your face. It's bolshie."
"I do kind of wish I'd made it a proper single, because it is a fan favorite," she continued, later adding, "My fan base appreciate when I take risks over the safe choices."
Thirlwall said she stays close with her former Little Mix bandmates, who have gone on to launch solo careers of their own.
"The girls have been great. We support each other," she said. "It's nice to have that support, because nobody knows what we went through but us."
Thirlwall's Lollapalooza weekend included two shows. On Saturday night, she headlined an official festival after-show at The Vic Theatre with Chicago drag star Shea Couleé as a special guest, and her Grant Park set on Sunday streamed live on Disney+ and Hulu.
The festival run continues. Thirlwall is scheduled to perform at Outside Lands in San Francisco next weekend, followed by Summer Sonic in Japan and Reading and Leeds in England later this month.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
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