Nick Jonas: a whole new artist

By Lauren Hight
November 12, 2014

Nick Jonas performed to a sold out crowd in New York City. (Lauren Hight/Multimedia Editor)
Nick Jonas performed to a sold out crowd in New York City. (Lauren Hight/Multimedia Editor)

Say goodbye to the boy band days because Nick Jonas has established himself as a new artist.

Nick Jonas performed to a sold out crowd in New York City. (Lauren Hight/Multimedia Editor)
Nick Jonas performed to a sold out crowd in New York City. (Lauren Hight/Multimedia Editor)

Jonas, the youngest member of the multi-platinum selling band the Jonas Brothers, released his self-titled album on Monday, Nov. 10 and it is far from the teeny-bopper, pop music that audiences are used to hearing from the singer on the Disney Channel. Especially with the parental advisory label that is displayed on the explicit version.

Discovering a more mature sound, Jonas displays his vocal abilities in a more R&B and soulful atmosphere, which may come unexpected to dedicated Jonas Brothers fans.

“Chains,” the opening track, gave listeners a whirlwind of what was to come during it’s release in the summer of 2014. This haunting song demonstrated the new approach Jonas was taking and while it may not have been the best debut single, it certainly got conversation started. This song’s stark musical approach distinguished itself between Jonas’ present career and what he left behind last year when he and his brothers called it quits.

“Wilderness” and “Teacher” taunt the sexual side of the album with lyrics like “Naked as the day we were born/did you know it could feel like this?/I’ll take your body back to the wilderness” and “When you wear that dress, and my heart can’t take no more…when you act like this it’s like your momma never taught you how to love/so let me teach you” respectively. While these are two of the more upbeat songs on the album, it may leave listeners with question marks since their vibes strongly distinguish themselves from the bunch.

The underdog of this album has to go to the Frank Ocean-esque ballad, “Push.” Jonas’ soulful falsetto demonstrates the fragile emotion he is emitting through the heartbreaking lyrics. Between that and the funk induced backbeat, this song resulted in an unexpected stunner.

As distant as his Disney days are, he still clings onto them as he teams up with former co-star and pop music phenomenon, Demi Lovato, for the ballad that is “Avalanche.” The duo teamed up back in 2007 when Lovato featured the Jonas Brothers on her debut album and the on-point harmonies between the two are still prevalent. “Avalanche” may bring back deja vu to dedicated fans because it bears a faint resemblance to Lovato’s 2011 chart topper, “Skyscraper.”

The talk of the tracks however goes to the “Jealous,” the current single on the top 40 charts. This funky club beat can be comparable to a modern day Lionel Richie sound whose lyrics will spike a little envy into anyone’s eye. The music video highlights Jonas’ girlfriend, former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, and reminds audiences of the showmanship quality that struck him gold as a child performer.

Overall, Jonas put out a solid album. The dedicated fan girls from the Jonas Brother’s prime will still follow through with shrieks of delight since he has finally released new music after his debut album, “Nick Jonas and the Administration,” was released in 2010. This album will certainly take some getting used to for those who are familiar with the chipper anthems on the Jonas Brothers past, but it won’t take long before you are caught singing along to the “baby tell me why” lyrics in “Chains”.

Only time will tell if he will follow in Justin Timberlake’s footsteps of a successful music career after a boy band breakup but so far, it sounds like Jonas is off to a decent start

@hightlauren

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Lauren Hight

Lauren Hight graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cabrini in 2015 with a major in communication, minor in graphic design and certification in leadership. She was the Multimedia Editor of The Loquitur for the 2014-2015 academic year and prides herself on the versatile skills she took took away from her experience at Cabrini.

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