“I can’t imagine not being a pop star,” said Jade Thirlwall . The now-mononymous Jade found herself in New York this June to promote her solo debut, That’s Showbiz Baby! , and her only request was to meet at a gay bar. Outside the lesbian institution Cubbyhole, two girls had stopped the South Shields native for a selfie before she entered the historic West Village jaunt, where the lone bartender played “Party in the U.S.A.” A stick of deodorant was placed on the bar for community use as a quiet acknowledgment of the sweltering heat and sweat assumed of Pride Month activities. “I live and breathe it,” the 32-year-old added of her aspirational pop stardom, eyes flickering. “I love pop with all of my heart.”

Perched in the corner atop bar stools plastered with Dolly Parton’s face

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