She kicked off her first solo tour, That’s Showbiz Baby, last month and is now preparing to receive the Musician Award at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2025.
And Jade Thirlwall, 32, looked incredible as she graced the cover of the magazine’s December/January issue on Wednesday, opening up about her time in Little Mix and adapting to life after the girl band went on an indefinite hiatus.
Little Mix, made up of members Jade, Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, formed on the eighth series of the X Factor in 2011.
They quickly became one of the biggest girl groups of the 2010s with popular hits including Wings, DNA, Move, Black Magic, and Shout Out to My Ex.
They released six studio albums, with several reaching No. 1 in the UK, before announcing in May 2022 that they were going on an indefinite hiatus to focus on their solo careers.
However, Jade has now opened up about what life was like in the band back then, admitting it was ‘cut-throat’.
Jade Thirlwall looked incredible as she covered Harper’s Bazaar’s December/January issue ahead of picking up the Musician Award at the magazine’s Women of the Year Awards 2025
The singer, 32, opened up about her time in Little Mix and adapting to life after the girl band went on an indefinite hiatus
Jade, was a member of the girl group, who formed on the eighth series of the X Factor, from 2011-2022. Pictured Jade, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson in 2011
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar UK, she recalled: ‘It was cut-throat. You were always on a tightrope of success. If you fell out of the Top 10, there was a lot to worry about.
‘I look back at times when we were huge, before Get Weird came out, and we had a big sleepover, all crying, “If this isn’t a Top 10 song, we’ll get dropped.” It’s wild to think about now because we were so big at the time.’
Since then, Jade has gone on to become a highly successful solo artist – winning the 2025 Brit Award for Best Pop Act, releasing a Top 10 single, and a critically acclaimed debut album that debuted at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart.
However, before she embarked on her solo career, Jade struggled to adapt to life after the group went their separate ways and didn’t know what to do with herself.
She admitted: ‘I struggled the most to adapt to life after the group – the other girls had better distractions: families, kids. They went into a new chapter willingly. It was just me.
‘I didn’t know what to do with myself. Since I was 18, I lived and breathed Little Mix. It just took me a minute to adjust.’
‘There were so many spirals. I kept thinking, “Will I still be relevant by the time I come out? Will everyone forget about me?” And being 30-plus, you do wonder, “Is that old to start as a solo artist?”
‘I went out with friends, and travelled. When I got back home, I was like, “Okay, girlie, let’s get some therapy going, get in the studio and start figuring out who I am.”
The singer looked every inch the solo artist in the photoshoot, wowing with gorgeous close-up shots and a string of stylish outfits
In one gorgeous snap, Jade donned nothing but a black faux-fur coat as she struck a sultry pose for the camera
For her final look, Jade slipped into an elegant white lace dress, which boasted a high neckline, long sleeves, a cinched waist, and a draped silhouette
Jade’s solo tour kicked off in Dublin, Ireland, last month, and is set to conclude on March 18 in Hamburg, Germany.
And Jade revealed that her main goal for the tour is simple – to make sure people can’t be bored.
‘The goal is simple: to make sure people can’t be bored,’ she told the publication.
‘I live for the drama – and while I don’t quite have a Beyoncé or Taylor Swift budget yet, I’m making it work.’
The singer looked every inch the solo artist in the photoshoot, wowing in an oversized black-and-white print dress, which featured a delicate white lace hem.
Posing up a storm for the camera, Jade completed her look with black fluffy ballet flats, styling her dark tresses in curls.
In another stunning snap, Jade donned nothing but a black faux-fur coat, striking a series of sultry poses for the camera.
For her final look, Jade slipped into an elegant white lace dress, which boasted a high neckline, long sleeves, a cinched waist, and a draped silhouette.
She first rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Little Mix, one of the biggest girl groups of the 2010s, selling over 50 million records worldwide (band pictured 2017)
Throughout her journey as a solo artist, Jade has also received plenty of support from famous pals, including former Spice Girl Mel C and Lily Allen.
Speaking about receiving support from them following the release of her debut album, she said: ‘Mel C was so lovely to me – and Lily Allen literally DM’d me and said she really loves the album and the topics I sing and write about.
She continued: ‘She’s outspoken and, sometimes, she has to suffer the consequences of that. People love to berate outspoken women.’
Read the full interview in the December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar, on sale from November 7.
