album impressions (4): jade "that's showbiz baby!" + marina "princess of power"

(last album impressions post / part 5)

Note to self: PLEASE SAVE IN-BETWEEN POSTS. I just lost a whole hours worth of work putting my thoughts into this smh. Really thought I could save in one go, but I didn't and then I thought my mouse suddenly went missing and I accidentally clicked to go to previous page and AAAAAAAAAAAA. Ahhhhh well...let's hope I can recall a good chunk of what I wrote....

Hey welcome back to another blog post series where I do some album backlogging, pick two from the list to listen in full, and then blab about it (first impressions). Previously, I said that this would be a one post per week thing but I just couldn't keep up with it, and I truly am sorry about this (esp to myself). Like always, I just have too many things I want to prioritize, and well look, I don't really have motivation to listen to a whole album in one sitting all the time. So instead it will just be...whenever I feel like it. This, tends to be what I have to resort to whenever I make series for things and try to make them be scheduled posts.

Luckily, I just happen to have some albums I listened to, so we will be getting a post. So without further ado, I'll be talking about my thoughts for JADE of former Little Mix fame's THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! and MARINA's PRINCESS OF POWER. Wow, lots of uppercase. Also footnote that I only listened to the standard version of the album, so no deluxe (will maybe update the reviews to talk about the deluxe songs too?)

Small disclaimer: Everyone has unique preferences in music tastes. An album that I enjoy will not always resonate with someone else and vice versa. So please don't be disrespectful in the comments.

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JADE - THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!

My rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Song(s): Midnight Cowboy, Headache, Before You Break My Heart, Fantasy or FUFN (F*** You For Now) (honorable mention)

Genre: Dance-Pop, Electropop, House, Nu-Disco, Synthpop

General Thoughts: This album let's just say, is pure fun. Like please just talk about the album cover, which is what caught my attention to give this album a full listen. The way so many people talking about the album on Twitter and then there were people on Instagram who made their own versions of the album cover with fictional characters.

Apparently thought I would be going into this album blind but I didn't realize that I had heard Angel Of My Dreams albeit from some Altego mashup audio I saved on Instagram. I also had no idea that she was from Little Mix (I don't keep up with Little Mix at all sue me :x). But outside from that and the album cover, I enjoyed the music.

THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! is an album that will really capture two things I have a soft spot for: pompous, fierce, yassy, sashay diva/model runway music and songs you could see playing in some fast fashion retail store like the now defunct Forever 21. Some songs I can see include Angel Of My Dreams, IT girl, FUFN (F*** You For Now), and Fantasy.

But my personal favorites of the album has to be Midnight Cowboy, Headache, and Before You Break My Heart. Midnight Cowboy has that very deepish bass with a kick of that sultry and freaky spice that the pop girls like to add. Headache in contrast, has that funkiness that I just can't stop but repeat so many times during my drive. FUFN (F*** You For Now) is also enjoyable, but I couldn't help but think of Ava Max, but whether you think it's a good thing or not I do not know.

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MARINA - PRINCESS OF POWER

My rating: 7.9/10

Favorite Song(s): I <3 YOU, JE NE SAIS QUOI, METALLIC STALLION, DIGITAL FANTASY, ROLLERCOASTER or EVERYONE KNOWS I'M SAD (honorable mention)

Genres: Dance-Pop, Electropop, Synthpop, Europop, Hi-NRG, Alt-Pop

General Thoughts: MARINA we are so back yippee. Uh, well I gotta preface that I don't know how much her music has changed or whether it changed at all (and it's absolutely fine if it hasn't though I wonder if this just means she's just playing it safe?). Regardless, MARINA came out with an album that caught my attention thanks to the internet. Plus, I thought the visuals were interesting.

PRINCESS OF POWER isn't something that feels very new or something that feels very innovative to me. As far as MARINA goes, she still has her signature 'bratty, maximalist feminist' electropop with a twang of tragedy, romance, and satirical' flavor that regardless, I will eat up since The Family Jewels, Electra Heart, and FROOT. 

Alright so let's talk a bit about the music. Let me get this out of the way: BUTTERFLY is so damn annoyingly catchy. Annoying, but catchy. It's the song that caught the people's attention that MARINA was cooking something. However, her other standouts of the album like PRINCESS OF POWER, CUNTISSIMO, and CUPID'S HEART in the nicest way possible, are songs that i'll probably choose to skip.

ROLLERCOASTER gave me a bit of whiplash to be referencing Hollaback Girl, but in saying that, it's such a delicious song. I can also say the same with JE NE SAIS QUOI, METALLIC STALLION, and DIGITAL FANTASY. I <3 YOU is a cute disco-pop song that I also enjoy, but I also do think it could have a bit of that 'umph' that was in FROOT, and EVERYONE KNOWS I'M SAD while I do like, feels like I'm listening to another BLUE again (another song from FROOT lol). 

EDIT in 1/20/2026: I still haven't touched the deluxe just yet but I do want to say ROLLERCOASTER has been playing in my head a lot.

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Alright, that's as much as I can say! New edits will be made when needed!

Later!

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