With the release of his debut solo single, “Chains,” one thing is perfectly clear. Nick Jonas seems determined to put some distance between himself and the merry band of brothers that put him on the map. I mean, it all makes sense. The Jonas Brothers broke up back in October, so obviously Nick is on the hunt for his next gig.
Sure, Jonas has already experienced some solo success, releasing music and touring with bluesy rock outfit, Nick Jonas & the Administration. He even kick-started a TV career of sorts, guest starring in multiple episodes of both “Smash” and “Hawaii 5-0,” even a couple of movies. Oh, then there’s Jonas’ stage career, he made his West End debut playing the role of Marius in Les Mis as well as a role in Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl. Jonas ALMOST made his big Broadway debut in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying…but unfortunately, the show ended its run before he was scheduled to start. All things considered, Nick Jonas has seen quite a bit of success as a solo act. So why change directions again?
While Nick Jonas is certainly taking a gamble with this latest attempt at reinvention, what’s he got to lose? He’ll either see success making music he’s passionate about, or fail and return to the stage or television, neither one of which are bad options I might add. What are his chances at solo success? Hard to predict, really. We all remember what happened when Joe Jonas attempted to go solo, right (Fastlife, anyone?)? The main difference I see here is that, unlike with Joe Jonas‘ solo material, “Chains” completely and successfully separates Nick Jonas from the his former band. “Chains” is more grown up, more mature. It’s more urban-leaning, less Top 40, but still holding on to JUST enough pop appeal to keep those JoBros fans salivating. While his brother’s solo album, Fastlife had all the makings of a promising pop album (production from Jim Beanz, Danja, Claude Kelly and Hit-Boy) it failed to deliver in the quality department. None of the singles (i.e. – “See No More“) connected at radio which left 12-tracks of generic pop album filler.
With “Chains” on the other hand…there’s nothing generic about it. Produced by Jason Evigan (Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony) “Chains” is just what the radio ordered. It’s got a contemporary, fresh, smooth R&B sound with just enough pop sensibility to play on Top 40 radio stations. What’s more is that “Chains,” the first single taken from his forthcoming album on Island Records isn’t what ANYONE expected and for Nick Jonas, that’s definitely a good thing.
The single premiered last week on Complex.com, but you can listen to it below. Stay tuned for the video which MTV will be premiering on Wednesday, July 30th (6:00 AM ET) across all it’s platforms, the same day it goes up on iTunes. Can’t wait till Wednesday? Check out MTV.com for teases in the days leading up to the official premiere. When talking to MTV about the video, Jonas had this to say:
“The thing that I wanted to protect is that all of my videos in the past have had a story and a narrative and the story lines have been pretty complex. I wanted this one to just be like an art piece, like a trailer to a cinematic movie and really have the tone of the song connected to the visual because it is dark and edgy and I think this video really captures that, it’s a really beautiful visual.”
The video was co-directed by Jonas and Ryan Pallotta (Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato) and features up & coming actress, Dylan Penn (daughter of actor Sean Penn). Continuing about the video and his new sound, Jonas told MTV:
“I think really connects and I’m really excited for people to see it because it’s a really strong look and a real progression for me.”
I’m shocked to be writing this, but… I think this might be the most excited I’ve been about something relating to a Jonas Brother…well…EVER! Listen to “Chains” below.
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