Jade Thirlwall, who goes by her stage name JADE, exuded major pop star energy on the set of her shoot inspired by Madonna's "Like a Prayer" music video, thanks to her powerhouse glam squad
Credit: YouTube; Damian Foxe
NEED TO KNOW
- JADE underwent a Madonna makeover for her PEOPLE World’s Most Beautiful shoot, inspired by the legendary pop star’s “Like a Prayer” music video
- On set in London, the singer’s glam squad — comprised of stylist Zack Tate, hairstylist Patrick Wilson, and makeup artist Joey Choy —transformed her into an ’80s dream with all the right research
- “It feels right to be recreating this look,” said the Little Mix alum in a behind-the-scenes interview
It's no mystery to us that JADE was able to pull of one of Madonna's most iconic looks to date.
For PEOPLE's World’s Most Beautiful issue, the former Little Mix member —whose real name is Jade Thirlwall — recreated the iconic look from Madonna's music video for her 1989 hit song, "Like a Prayer," in a majestic church in East London. And with the setting and pop star aura on point, it was only fitting that the glam, too, bring its A-game.
Thirlwall's transformation was achieved by a powerhouse group of pros including stylist Zack Tate (who is part of a styling duo with Jamie McFarland), hairstylist Patrick Wilson, and makeup artist Joey Choy, and PEOPLE got all the details on how they turned her into one of music and fashion's greatest legends.
"I do love dressing up, and Madonna is one of my favorite artists of all time, so it feels right to be recreating this look," Thirlwall shared in a behind-the-scenes interview. "I'd say ['Like a Prayer'] is one of my top five Madonna songs. So it feels right to be here today doing this one."
Credit: Damian Foxe
Thirlwall's photo shoot look was custom made to recreate the costume Madonna wore 37 years ago (a vintage piece from Western Costume Company originally sourced by Marlene Stewart), including the Agro Studio dress and Anna Loucah necklace
"We did loads of research," says Tate, adding that that everything from the amethyst stones to the corsetry under the gown was designed in Madonna fashion — right down to the cone bra.
"It's very feminine, you feel very empowered with the cone bra, so I get it now," Thirlwall says. "This makes me feel really beautiful because I actually don't really wear things like this that often."
Hairstylist Wilson says Madonna's rich, curly brunette hairstyle from the video was actually easy to replicate on Thirlwall's natural hair texture. Meanwhile, Choy says he went for makeup that embodies the "really glamorous" aesthetic of the '80s and captures the time's trends, from thick eyebrows to a bold red lip (while still customizing it to best suit Thirlwall's skin tone and "beautiful features"). Even Madonna's signature beauty mark was painted on Thirlwall for the shoot.
With so much going into the shoot, the singer and her squad couldn't help but have a blast, not least of all because "JADE is such a joy to work with," as Choy says.
"Working with JADE is an absolute dream. She knows exactly who she is and will have a creative input… so she keeps us on our toes," says Tate.
Adds Wilson, "She's always fun. You know, she brings it in the [hair] chair. I think she's up for a new thing each time … Madonna is a gay icon and so is JADE, so it's good to be able to, like, see her in that light."
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The shoot overall held significance for Thirlwall, who released her first solo album as JADE, That's Showbiz Baby!, in September 2025.
"'Like a Prayer' was such a poignant moment in [Madonna's] career. It was very controversial at the time, but it's a historic piece of pop music," she tells PEOPLE. "I remember watching it as a little girl and being like, 'This is really fab.' Even at a young age, I knew that it was important in pop culture. I've always been a super, super pop fan and it was a dream of mine to become a pop star. Madonna is it. She's the OG pop star."
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