courtesy of nickjonas.com
When I was younger, I hung up a poster of The Jonas Brothers, clad in their tight skinny jeans, in my grandmother’s house. If you would have told me that a mere eight years later, Nick Jonas would be a real heartthrob, I would have laughed in your face. Little did the world know that the youngest Jonas would later become the breakout star of the Jonas Brothers.
As the die-hard Jonas Brothers fans grew up, so did the trio. As Nick Jonas ditched his boy-next-door vibes, he surprisingly pulled a Justin Timberlake by producing smooth R&B music, exemplified in his 2014 album, “Jealous.”
As the latest album’s title states, last year was complicated for Jonas; he uses his breakup with former Miss USA Olivia Culpo for source material. Even though most breakup albums tend to be full of bitterness and regret, the music on the album is too upbeat for Jonas to be truly upset.
Because of songs such as “Voodoo” and “The Difference,” one would think Jonas was a carbon-copy of Timberlake. Their stories are similar: both started as pre-teen cuties on Disney and in a boy band, followed by their breakout as solo artists.
The album features collaborations with Tove Lo, Ty Dolla $ign, Big Sean and Daniella Mason. The first single off the album, “Close,” was released March 25, and the second, “Chainsaw,” was released May 13.
It is obvious that Jonas has grown as an artist between “Jealous” and “Last Year was Complicated.” Although he occasionally relies on his Jonas Brothers teen-pop roots, his latest album feels like, for the most part, it comes from the heart.
Jonas said on the recording of the album, “It became clear what this thing would be about, and that I would need to dig really deep. Reliving some of these real life experiences through this music is hard.”
Even though Jonas may have struggled with his personal life, it affirms the belief that going through hard times makes you stronger. Or your music at least.
