Jade Talks New Music, Reading & Leeds Headline Ambitions and Glastonbury Plans

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Jade has spoken to NME about the latest developments on her “brave and bold” second album, her ambition to headline Reading & Leeds, and whether she could return to Glastonbury next year.

Returning to her home region of South Shields, the former Little Mix singer turned solo star caught up with NME on the red carpet at the Mercury Prize in Newcastle. Her debut album ‘That’s Showbiz Baby!’ had been shortlisted alongside releases from Suede, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and Florence & The Machine, before ultimately losing out to Raye’s ‘This Music May Contain Hope’.

When asked what she believes makes an exceptional album, Jade replied: “Authenticity, being bold and ballsy, just doing what you want to do and not necessarily pandering to what you think the masses want to hear.”

Before taking to the stage for a major performance of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’, Jade also shared how excited she was to be nominated and perform at the ceremony. “I’m buzzing off me boobs, I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m a little overwhelmed to be honest, there’s a lot going on right now, but I’m very happy to be here.”

 

 

 

 

It has been a busy year for Jade, and our previous encounter with the singer was at Reading Festival, where she delivered a huge performance and attracted one of the weekend’s biggest crowds.

“It was amazing,” she recalled. “I’d never played Reading before, it was my first time and I think as a pop artist you’re always a little apprehensive of how the crowd is going to react – especially at Reading. But they were amazing, they were well up for it. It was one of my favourite festivals that I’ve done this year and one ticked off the bucketlist.”

Could she eventually join the likes of Charli XCX and Raye as one of the next generation of pop stars to headline Reading & Leeds?

“I mean I’d love to, I’d absolutely love to,” she replied. “That’s definitely a dream of mine to headline more festivals, and there are no better ones that Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury.”

When asked whether she might return to Worthy Farm in 2027, she said: “Fingers crossed, we’ll see. It was so special there last year, and it was probably one of the best shows of my life. It was so, so special. I’d love to re-live it and do it again.”

 

JADE performs at Glastonbury 2025, photo by Derek Bremner
JADE performs at Glastonbury 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME

Fans could potentially have a new Jade album to look forward to by next summer, with the singer confirming that she has been “busy writing” alongside producer and collaborator Mike Sabbath.

“We’ve been doing a lot over the summer in between the little breaks and the festival run,” Jade told NME. “I’ve been getting in the studio with him, writing what we can, and I’m going to LA in a couple of weeks to start solidifying what this is going to sound like. It’s still kind of early stages, but I love writing process and it’s even better to do it with mates and people who you feel really comfortable with.”

So, what direction is her second album taking at this stage?

“I can’t say too much without giving it away,” she explained, “but it’s just very honest again about my experiences this year, whatever I’ve been going through and still brave, bold and a bit of a pop punch to the face.”

Jade performs at the 2026 Mercury Prize in Newcastle (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images) Jade performs at the 2026 Mercury Prize in Newcastle (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images)

Jade currently has several European dates scheduled for 2027. Visit here for tickets and further information.

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Rondo Gold is writing from and for the heart with new single “Impossible”

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Rondo Gold is an artist whose focus is to bring back the feeling of true love within R&B. His new single “Impossible” encapsulates this feeling through strong emotional vocals and songwriting meant to resonate with listeners. It’s a track meant to bring people back to something that they lost and reassure them that it can be found again. The track “Impossible” was written from a personal place as Rondo looked back on previous relationships he had been in. He had to not only look at himself but look at the factors that were a part of the relationship and how they stood out from others in the current generation. This directly impacted the process of crafting the song as he wanted to speak on something he knew about firsthand and connect with listeners through it. 

“I was reflecting on previous relationships and how I want us to get back to talking about real love and longevity. Social media tends to glorify and display microwave relationships. Lots of people have lost trust and what their definition of love is so bringing that back seems impossible to them.” he said.

Rondo admires artists that make music that not only resonates with listeners in the moment but sticks with him as time goes on. His goal is to make music that’s just as timeless so listeners can enjoy it for years to come but also, so he can enjoy signing the songs himself.  It’s not only about the way the song sounds but the emotional aspects contained within it and how while they may stem from a specific moment in time, it’s time he will enjoy revisiting and his listeners will too. 

The music Rondo naturally resonates with his listeners because his early days of pursuing music go back to songwriting. In fact, like many artists who have become stars, his background includes writing for others. Forming a connection through lyrics is pivotal in the world of R&B and the way words are said are just as important as the words themselves. 

“I was around people that could sing and my sister could too. Eventually, I started taking singing lessons for myself but I wasn’t really singing about anything of substance. Once I started to change that, I was writing songs for people and my sister to sing, then I started writing songs for myself with intention. I also studied the technical pieces of songs like hooks, melodies, harmonies and structures so I could truly craft great songs.” he said

Writing from a specific place is the through line for all the music Rondo makes. With “Impossible” stemming from a reflection of the relationships he was in, the rest of his music comes from a place of truth too. A person can hear his words and connect them to their own lived experience or, they may help change their perspective on a relationship they were in.

“I rely on my personal experiences and emotions for my songwriting. I want listeners to really feel what I’m saying. I like to be reflective and visual with my words. And people don’t have to connect to the whole verse, it can just be part of the verse. Or the hook. But, I know they’re going to feel something.” he said. 

Rondo Gold is bringing real love back to R&B, one well written song at a time. He’s making music that’s felt by all those with hearts that have been through something real. 

You can see more of Rondo Gold’s journey into bringing real love back by following him on these platforms. 

Apple Music | United Masters | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook

The Starlight PR Team thanks Rondo Gold for taking the time to speak with us.

Go run it up and stream “Impossible” now!

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