In these (lines, vines and) trying times, nostalgia has proven to be quite comforting. It’s why network executives have considered rebooting basically every show you’ve ever loved, or why your parents tell you that music on the radio used to be of much higher quality when they were growing up.
Parents of current 20-somethings may have been shading the Jonas Brothers, a boy band whose fame peaked in the late aughts. The New Jersey natives gained a massive following from appearing on the Disney Channel and memorably starred in the movie ‘Camp Rock’ alongside singer-actress Demi Lovato in 2008. Joe was the cool one, Nick was the cute one and Kevin was, well, the other one. Skinny jeans, strained voices and purity rings became their trademarks. By the time the band fizzled out in 2013, they had sold more than 17 million albums.
But guess what, parents? The JoBros are back! After teasing the reunion on Thursday, they released the single ‘Sucker’ and an accompanying music video at midnight. A full album is in the works.
Here’s what to know about the Jonas Brothers and their latest musical adventure.
How long has it been since we last heard from these guys?
In terms of the band, it’s been almost six years. The Jonas Brothers released the singles ‘Pom Poms’ and ‘First Time’ in the first half of 2013, announcing soon after that the songs would be part of a fifth album titled ‘V.’ In October, however, they cancelled ‘V’ and instead released an album of live recordings called ‘Live.’
After breaking up, the brothers pursued solo careers. Nick wound up No 10 on the 2015 list of People’s Sexiest Men Alive and can still be heard seducing women on party playlists via his songs ‘Jealous’ and ‘Levels.’ Joe and his floppy hair front the band DNCE, which is pronounced as an acronym and best known for the 2015 hit ‘Cake by the Ocean.’ Kevin, according to Forbes, became a full-time entrepreneur.
What songs should I listen to in preparation for ‘Sucker’?
Not all Jonas Brothers songs were created equal. If you’re looking for a true blast from the past, perhaps travel to the future with their kid-friendly cover of ‘Year 3000.’ The band’s self-titled album contains some of their most memorable work — ‘S.O.S.,’ ‘Hold On,’ ‘Kids of the Future’ and ‘When You Look Me in the Eyes’ — but the 2008 album ‘A Little Big Longer’ produced what is arguably their best work: ‘Burnin’ Up’ and ‘Lovebug.’ They also recorded once-popular tracks for ‘Camp Rock,’ such as ‘Play My Music’ and ‘This Is Me,’ Joe’s duet with Lovato.
Who are the women in the ‘Sucker’ music video?
Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas. Chopra, a Bollywood actress who transitioned to Hollywood by starring in the ABC drama ‘Quantico,’ got married to Nick in December. Several receptions followed their lavish #sponcon wedding, as did a viral article that bizarrely referred to her as a “global scam artist.” She is also known for being friends with the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
‘Game of Thrones’ fans are especially likely to recognise Turner, a British actress who plays Sansa Stark in the HBO series and has been engaged to Joe since 2017. Jonas, a former hairdresser, married Kevin in 2009. The Jonas Brothers are all about family, if you couldn’t tell. (It remains to be discovered whether they are also all about ‘The Favourite,’ which was reportedly filmed in the same castle as the video.)
I like seeing these brothers on camera. Have they ever had a television show?
Unfortunately, they have. The Disney Channel series ‘Jonas’ premiered in 2009 and featured the brothers playing dramatised versions of themselves — tellingly, the most memorable thing about this show is that they lived in a firehouse. A Los Angeles Times article from that year says that the characters were originally conceived as secret agents who played in a band as a cover. The working title, ‘J.O.N.A.S.,’ would have stood for “Junior Operatives Networking As Spies.” Oh, what could have been!
Why don’t people care as much about Kevin?
It’s hard to say. Despite his short-lived E! reality series ‘Married to Jonas,’ the public just seems more interested in Kevin’s younger brothers. It’s become a running joke — as someone tweeted on Friday, they’re basically “The Jonas Brothers Ft Kevin Jonas.” (Speaking of which, don’t forget about the fourth brother, Frankie, aka Bonus Jonas.)
Hints of this dynamic have slipped into interviews as well. While promoting ‘Sucker’ on Elvis Duran’s morning radio show, Joe said that while working on the new music, it came down to “balancing Nick’s sound, DNCE’s sound and, to be truthful, Kevin’s, like, bringing so much heart into this.”
We give Kevin props for taking style cues from Beyonce.
When do we get the rest of the album?
Not now, but soon enough. Joe said in the radio interview that the band has a whopping “30, 40 songs recorded that we can’t wait to release. I think in the next few months, we’re probably going to hear more.”
