
Nick Jonas is Disney Channel royalty no longer. The 22-year-old former Jonas Brother proves he is all grown up with the release of his self-titled debut solo album.
Jonasâ new sound can be summed up in one wordâsexy. Reminiscent of Justin Timberlakeâs solo debut, Jonas is shedding his baby-faced, boy band image for an edgier, more grown up sound. Gone are the squeaky clean, kid friendly lyrics of his Jonas Brothers days. Instead, they have been replaced with a parental advisory warning.
Jonas is going for a sexier image. Jonas has been turning up the sex appeal with some recent photo shoots, the most attention grabbing being a shoot for Flaunt magazine where Jonas channels Mark Wahlbergâs infamous Calvin Klein âcrotch grabâ pose.
Jonasâ new sound is much more electronic than his previous 2010 solo side project, Nick Jonas and the Administration. The Administration featured a four-piece band and had a more mellow, instrumentally driven vibe.
The albumâs first single, âChains,â is a slow, R&B-esque tune describing a bondage-like relationship: âYou got me in chains/Chains for your love.â The deluxe version of the album features a remix from producer Just a Gent that could be heard in any nightclub.
âChainsâ led the way for the next single off the album, âJealous,â which has been getting lots of attention on Top 40 stations. The radio friendly tune is an upbeat, envy-fueled track detailing the emotions of a jealous lover: âItâs my right to be hellish, I still get jealous/âCause youâre too sexy, beautiful/And everybody wants a taste.â
âTeacherâ is a fun, feel-good song in which Jonas offers to teach a lover how to love: âItâs like your momma never taught you how to love/So let me teach ya.â Its upbeat rhythm and sexy, playful lyrics are slightly reminiscent of Robert Thickeâs 2013 smash single âBlurred Lines,â along with a semi-nude lyric video.
The songs on this album show that Jonas knows how to be fun and sexy, but he also knows when to slow it down and be romantic.
Jonas slows it down to sing about a failing relationship in âWarningâ: âI can see the warning/Itâs brighter than the morning/Keeps trying to turn me right aroundâ and gets emotional when crooning about the struggles of a long distance relationship in âSanta Barbaraâ: âWhy is New York City/So far from Santa Barbara.â
The album also features collaborations with some of todayâs hottest young artists. Jonas teamed up with his good friend Demi Lovato for the duet âAvalanche.â He called in the help of artists Angel Haze and Mike Posner for the songs âNumbâ and âCloser,â helping to give the album a more R&B vibe.
Overall, the album is a good mix of fun, upbeat, sexy songs and slow, romantic ballads. The progression of Jonasâ music is realistic and shows how he is changing and growing, not only as an artist, but as a person as well.






