Two high-profile British pop releases landed this week as Ed Sheeran returned to a larger pop sound on his eighth studio album, Play, while Jade Thirlwall, performing as Jade, issued her first solo record, That's Showbiz Baby!
Sheeran's Play frames a more outward-looking musical approach after a pair of folky, introspective albums in 2023 and follows a global tour that exposed him to musical styles across Asia. The album mixes the singer-songwriter's acoustic roots with electronic production, bhangra-style beats and songs that include Hindi and Farsi lyrics. In interviews supporting the release, Sheeran, 34, also told broadcasters he plans to move his family to the United States for his next U.S. tour, a change that he said could be permanent.
The opening track, Open, sets the album's autobiographical tone, touching on grief, family life and professional anxieties while building from a voice-and-guitar start into electronic accompaniment. Play references the death of his friend Jamal Edwards, two recent copyright trials and the support of his wife, Cherry Seaborn, and their two daughters. The record moves beyond Sheeran's one-man-band signature moments with duets and international collaborations: Sapphire pairs him with Indian superstar Arijit Singh, and Azizam features Indian percussion and an Iranian dulcimer, co-written with producer Ilya Salmanzadeh.
Tracks such as Old Phone and Camera revisit the straightforward storytelling that has driven many of Sheeran's arena hits, while occasional balladry—most notably In Other Words—leans into sentimentality. A Daily Mail review by Adrian Thrills described Play as a convincing return to big pop that balances instant hooks with emotional heft. Sheeran has scheduled U.K. arena dates later in the year, including shows at the CBS Arena in Coventry and Co-Op Live in Manchester.
Also issued this week, That's Showbiz Baby! marks a stylistic departure for Jade, 32, who rose to fame with Little Mix after winning The X Factor in 2011. Her July 2024 debut solo single, Angel Of My Dreams, signalled the project's ambition: a frenetic, sample-heavy track that won her the BRIT Award for best pop act and set expectations for an adventurous solo record.
The album opens with the off-kilter energy of Angel Of My Dreams and moves through fractured pop-rap hybrids such as It Girl. Jade worked with several established writers and producers, including Mike Sabath, Lostboy, Cirkut, Pablo Bowman and Raye, and frequently uses vintage samples; Before You Break My Heart incorporates a sample of The Supremes' Stop! In The Name Of Love. Songs such as Unconditional, inspired by her mother's battle with lupus, and Plastic Box, a glossy electronic number about jealousy, show a mix of personal subject matter and pop theatricality.
A review in the Daily Mail said the album begins strongly and showcases Jade's ability to carry solo material without her former bandmates, while acknowledging a few routine dance-pop moments that temper the record's momentum. Jade will launch a tour in October, beginning October 8 at Dublin's 3Olympia Theatre.
Both albums reflect broader shifts for their artists. For Sheeran, Play signals a possible new phase after a decade of mathematically titled records beginning with + (Plus) in 2011 and two folk-leaning releases in 2023. For Jade, the solo LP is an attempt to recast her public image away from manufactured-group pop toward a solo artist with eclectic, sample-driven tastes.
Critical response so far highlights the contrast between the two projects: Play as a commercially minded, boundary-crossing set that balances arena-sized choruses with cultural influences, and That's Showbiz Baby! as a bold, occasionally uneven solo debut that foregrounds experimentation and persona. Both releases are likely to shape the artists' live plans and public profiles in the months ahead as they tour and promote the albums.