Former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall has sent her fanbase into a frenzy with the release of her powerful new solo single, 'Church', accompanied by a strikingly quirky music video set in woods and a graveyard.
A Visual Spectacle: From Gothic Bride to Cult Circles
The 32-year-old singer announced the deluxe version of her debut album, 'That's Showbiz Baby! The Encore', last week, with the new track arriving shortly after. The video for 'Church' is a cinematic feast, opening with Thirlwall cutting a gothic figure in a dramatic black outfit with oversized shoulder pads, her dark eye makeup streaming down her face as she sings the poignant line, 'Pray for me like I would pray for you'.
She transforms throughout the visual narrative, appearing as a bride in a long white gown clutching red flowers, and later in a bold black and yellow spotted off-the-shoulder dress. The video features cameos from transgender TikTok star Bel Priestley and renowned designer Daniel Lismore, with their faces flashing on screen as Jade sings, 'It's hard enough to be alive. Might as well dance or die'.
Other memorable scenes see Jade standing in the middle of a cult circle with Lismore as dancers perform quirky moves, and striding through a woodland in a stylish cut-out trench coat while a chaotic entourage of dancers sign autographs and are chased by paparazzi. The video concludes with the singer in a shredded white paper dress and a dramatic horned headpiece.
The Encore: Expanding a Chart-Topping Debut
The deluxe album, released today, builds on the success of her first solo record. The original 'That's Showbiz Baby!' landed at number three in the UK charts upon its September release, securing the biggest opening week for a debut album in 2025. The Encore edition adds eight new songs to the tracklist.
Alongside the anthemic 'Church', the new material includes the socially conscious 'This Is What We Dance For' and Thirlwall's highly praised cover of Madonna's classic 'Frozen', which acts as the album's grand finale. Other new tracks are 'Dreamcheater', 'Best You Could', 'Use Me', 'If My Heart Was A House', and 'Tar'.
Jade's Meteoric Solo Rise
Thirlwall's solo career launched spectacularly with debut single 'Angel Of My Dreams', which has amassed over 107 million streams. Her success was cemented in March 2025 when she became the first former girl group member to win a BRIT Award, taking home Best Pop Act.
She is currently on her first solo UK and Ireland tour and is set to take the show to the US and Canada next year, before wrapping up in Europe in March. Last month, her impact was recognised with the Musician Award at Harper's Bazaar's Women Of The Year ceremony, where she also revealed support from famous pals like Mel C and Lily Allen.
The 'Church' video was directed and co-written by Billy King, with creative direction and co-writing by Maximilian Raynor.
