In a recent interview, the 32-year-old former Little Mix member reflected on her rise to stardom, admitting she may have “sold her soul” when she first found fame as a teenager on The X Factor. During an appearance on The Assembly, a show where neurodivergent individuals ask the questions, Jade was asked if she ever felt like she had given up her soul for the music industry. She responded, “Maybe a little bit in the beginning. I was so young, and I just signed on the dotted line.”
At the time, Jade was only in her late teens when she and her bandmates Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson won the UK version of The X Factor as Little Mix. Back then, she didn’t fully understand the commitment she was making. However, as she has grown older and gained more experience, she says she has been able to “collect parts of [her] soul back.” Comparing herself to Marvel’s Thanos, she explained, “I’ve been collecting parts of my soul back as I’ve gained more creative freedom.”
Jade, however, is not looking back with resentment. She’s at peace with how her career began. “I don’t want to sit here and bash the last 13 years of my life. I’m very happy and content,” she told Beat magazine. “Like any job, there are highs and lows. That’s just life, and it’s my reality, but it’s about writing it in a way that’s not ‘woe is me.’”
The singer also spoke about her new song, Angel of My Dreams, which includes the lyric “sold my soul to a psycho.” Many fans speculated that this was a dig at Simon Cowell, who created The X Factor and founded Syco Music. However, Jade quickly clarified, saying, “It’s not specifically about that.” She explained that the song reflects her entire journey, from the excitement of winning The X Factor to the whirlwind of being thrust into the music industry. “The opening is like the music to that montage bit on The X Factor after you’ve won, and you’re just catapulted into the industry,” she said.
Jade also shared her thoughts on the future of the music industry, suggesting that the era of major music labels and talent show-driven careers may be over. “I think it’s the end of that kind of TV show or music label. I think it’s the end of that era,” she said. “But I don’t know if Simon Cowell specifically has ended.”
While she may have signed her name without fully understanding the consequences at the time, Jade is now taking back control—one lyric and one soul stone at a time.
