In a single moment, JADE established her mononymous rise to the forefront of British music. Achieving a solo BRIT on her first attempt, she was majestic on stage, gracious in her acceptance speech, and respectful to the other nominees.
Later during the glamorous event, she delivered a performance that stood out as a remarkable moment of the year, showcasing her multifaceted single ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ as a five-act play inspired by Greek mythology.
Descending from the heavens only to conclude her act by ascending back to the ceiling, it was a breathtaking piece of musical theatre that took months of planning to bring to life.
Throughout the journey, JADE maintained close communication with the production team Black Skull, who worked tirelessly to realize this instantly memorable performance.
CLASH interviewed the Black Skull team to gain insight into the meticulous creative process that led to this extraordinary performance.
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Congratulations on the outstanding BRITs performance! How did your collaboration with JADE begin? How involved was she in the creative process?
We’ve known Jade since her Little Mix days, where we were brought in as creative directors for the BRIT’s performance of Woman Like Me, and we continued working with them on all their TV appearances and tours until their hiatus, so it was easy to reconnect creatively.
Jade was involved at every stage, and every detail received her approval before we moved forward.
How long in advance did you have to prepare for the performance?
We had about a month from our initial discussion when we conceptualized the idea of the performance occurring – it was an ambitious project to accomplish in such a short time! The dialogue with Jade was always open, constantly exchanging inspiration and ideas to shape what you witnessed that night.
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The final result was incredibly dramatic – was that theatrical and storytelling element something you aimed to convey from the start?
Right from the first call, Jade expressed her desire to reimagine the song in a completely new and theatrical manner. It quickly became evident that portraying ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ as a five-act Greek tragedy would provide us with an iconic aesthetic while allowing room for various impactful moments and character portrayals.
Storytelling was essential, with the entire flow grounded in layers of metaphor, meaning, and unmistakable pop culture references. There are numerous hidden depths for fans to explore!
JADE with angel wings was memorable – how did it feel to see that come to life?
From the outset, Jade envisioned the sensation of falling through a trapdoor and soaring as an angel, and fortunately, we had an incredible artist eager to execute any trick or stunt to make the vision a reality. A major credit goes to Jade since few artists would take such a risk on their first solo BRITs performance!
With the wings, we always agreed to pursue them if they felt magical and didn’t have visible wires that would make her look like a nativity figure! Luckily, we previously created a show where we made someone appear to levitate using a boom arm, so we scaled that idea up – transitioning from a two-meter long arm to an eight-meter arm weighing over 2.5 tonnes just for Jade!
We were confident it would look fantastic, but a spectacle like that requires all components – technical solutions, lighting, video, special effects, costumes, and a crew of 15 – to work harmoniously. Typically, such precision would take weeks in the West End, but we had only two hours on stage and a dress rehearsal to perfect it; thus, it was only during the actual performance that everything fell perfectly into place!
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There were many subtle nods to Greek tragedy in the performance; where did those ideas originate?
As Jade shared her vision for the music video and we discussed how those characters could transition to the BRITs stage, it felt profoundly tragic, inspiring a dramatic and almost operatic style. We began to consider more classical storytelling methods, and the concept of Greek tragedy resonated with us.
The performance appeared to subtly, and at times overtly, critique the music industry—a bold choice at the BRITs! Did those themes feel timely?
Jade initiated those themes in the AOMD music video, so it felt appropriate to continue exploring them, particularly in the heart of the British music industry.
What was it like to witness the performance unfold?
On the night, we watched from the side of the stage with our hearts racing. A performance of that scale carries significant risks, especially in a live setting with limited rehearsal time… so we were understandably anxious, yet we also knew we had everything to gain.
However, as soon as the trapdoor functioned and Jade reemerged as Prima Donna, we realized the most nerve-wracking element was behind us, and we were venturing into something exhilarating—though we could never have predicted the audience's reaction. When you're deeply involved in creating something, it's challenging to step back and consider the audience's response; we simply had to make the most fitting and exciting choices as we
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In a single moment, JADE secured her ascent to the pinnacle of British music. Achieving a solo BRIT on her very first attempt, she radiated royalty.