Angel of My Dreams (song)

"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, and marks her first solo endeavour after Little Mix began their hiatus in May 2022. Jade worked with previous collaborator Mike Sabath which samples the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest winning song "Puppet on a String" by English singer Sandie Shaw. Because of the sample which is played at the beginning 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 lyrically explores her complex relationship with the music industry, with references made to Syco Music and Simon Cowell. The music video also pays homage to Jade's home town of South Shields, and features home footage from her childhood including her audition from The X Factor UK. The music video also takes inspiration from the sci-fi blockbuster film The Fifth Element, psychological thriller Black Swan and Showgirls.

Background and release
Following the conclusion of the Confetti Tour in May 2022 and after Little Mix announced their hiatus in December 2021, Thirlwall began working on her solo projects and music. On 2 July 2024, she revealed the artwork and the release date of the track to all of her and her team's social media accounts. The music video and single was released on 19 July 2024 and projected onto the Angel of the North sculpture during it's launch. In a interview for British Vogue, an official article was released featuring a breakdown of some of the looks used in the video. It features looks from notable designers and brands including Skims, Giuseppe Zanotti, Versace, Miu Miu, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Composition and lyrics
"Angel of My Dreams" was co-written during a studio session in Los Angeles, alongside with Steph Jones, Pablo Bowman and producer Mike Sabath, whom she worked with before while in Little Mix. Musically it incorporates elements of Pop, electronica and dance-pop , and samples "Puppet on a String" by singer Sandie Shaw who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967 for the United Kingdom. Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who originally co wrote the 1967 version were given writing credits.

Jade described the single as "I want people to be like 'oh my god, I didn't expect that' - but then want to listen again". "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". In verse one there was some speculation made over references made to her past career with the lyrics "Sold my soul to a psycho". The term "psycho" resembles Syco Entertainment, a record label that Little Mix was previously signed to from 2011 and 2018.

Reception
"Angel of My Dreams" was met with widespread acclaim from critics. In an exclusive first listen with Official Charts, George Griffiths described her debut single 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 80s power-ballad" while incorporating different genres and electronic elements. They also called it surprising, shocking, and will turn aways from expectations.

Nick Reilly from RollingStone 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".

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". Writing for Clash, Robin Murray gave "Angel of My Dreams" am 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".

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".

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 Y2K Clubland 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".

Music video
The video for "Angel of My Dreams" was directed by Aube Perrie and filmed in London. 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 remensicing her hometown of South Shields. In the clip she is seen busking outside a supermarket called Sainsbury's, before it transitions into different scenes where she plays different personas. It features home footage of Jade performing as a child and includes a clip from when she auditioned for The X Factor UK. For the video inspiration was also drawn from the films Showgirls (1995), The Fifth Element (1997) and Black Swan (2010).

The concept of the video is from rags to riches and features a cameo appearance from Fontaines D.C frontman Grian Chatten. The scene which he appears in was also featured in the band’s own music video for "Starburster".