jbro

The Jonas Brothers are autographing copies of The Album at warp speed on this May afternoon in New York City — mimicking the Formula 1 drivers they’d observed at the Miami Grand Prix two days prior. The Album will arrive in three days, and the pre-sale for their supporting The Tour also began this morning. Tickets are moving even quicker than their Sharpies. Joe, Kevin, and Nick are veterans, nearly two decades deep in the pop game, so they’re intensely familiar with the demands of an album release week. It’s more challenging to find first-time experiences since reuniting in 2019, but as the Jonas Brothers have proved, difficult doesn’t mean impossible. “Deciding to do this again as a band, it was on our terms,” Joe says alongside Kevin and Nick over Zoom. “The idea that we could step back up to the plate and say, Alright, this is what we want to do, and we're ready for this, we're so thrilled with how our fans opened their arms back up to us. Off to the races.” Their compass? A bucket list full of joy-inducing, personally fulfilling goals. Their Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony capped January, just before announcing The Album. February welcomed the melodic, romantic lead single, “Wings,” and an accompanying video starring The White Lotus actress Haley Lu Richardson, who couldn’t have imagined such a scenario while growing up as a self-proclaimed stan.

“For me, the Happiness Begins chapter of our journey was really affirming and not the kind of thing where the success of ‘Sucker’ and the album added more pressure for us to back it up. It just sort of gave us the ability to take a deep breath for the first time,” Nick realizes, giggling in relief. The Album, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, sets them in an uninhibited lane. The Jonas Brothers aren’t racing against any external forces anymore; they are driven internally. In the intervening four years between Happiness Begins and The Album, Joe, 33, Kevin, 35, and Nick, 30, had an epiphany: There is no expiration date on their Jonas Brothers ambitions. This is forever. “I think that's why we were particular when it came to the name of our last album and last tour,” Joe says. “We weren't saying this is a reunion or tribute tour. We were out there playing new music. We feel like we're in the best years of our lives. We're competitive, and we want to continue to set the bar higher for ourselves. Yeah, we are in our thirties, but we feel like brand new artists every day when we wake up and we get to do what we love.”

Deciding to do this again as a band,

IT was on our own terms.

We feel like we're in the best years of our lives.

We're competitive, and we want to continue to set the bar higher for ourselves.

That developed sense of freedom drew the Brothers toward Bellion, who executive produced The Album and is the LP’s lone featured artist. Joe, Kevin, and Nick had admired Bellion’s work from afar, both as a solo artist as well as his behind-the-scenes presence in other A-list artists’ discographies (Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus). They were introduced through mutual friends, and it immediately became clear just how much they mutually shared during their first hang at Nick’s Los Angeles home studio last spring. “My first thought was, I wonder how down they would be to completely overhaul their sound?” Bellion tells Uproxx via email. “I loved that they were my age and in a similar stage of life as me. I felt like I could relate to their perspectives, making the creative process much more streamlined. I also loved the idea of not chasing anything trendy at all but doing an undeniable batch of records still firmly placed in their actual reality of being dads and husbands, while sonically outshining the rest of the marketplace. Not really engineering hits for hit purposes, but expressing their reality and arranging great musical sections that feel satisfying and summery — wave after wave, bar after bar, section after section. It produced this yacht rock, nostalgic, barbecue-from-the-future thing that feels insane.” The Album was under construction for nine months as the Brothers bounced between Bellion’s New York base and LA to record, letting “each of the songs get in our systems” and “living with a song for a long time,” Nick explains. But they couldn’t have sat comfortably with Bellion in the present without retracing, and ultimately embracing, their past.

“We’re fans of The White Lotus. We were originally talking about doing something with Aubrey Plaza, and then worlds collided and Haley’s schedule worked out,” Joe says. Nick finishes his sentiment: “It just made sense to spotlight an incredible fan who also happens to be a fantastic actor and artist in their own right to, in some ways, be a beacon for the whole fandom.” The Jonas Brothers conquered Broadway in mid-March, selling out a residency billed as “Five Albums, Five Nights,” progressing chronologically through their multiplatinum catalog, each night illuminating a different album. The introspective, punchy single “Waffle House” dropped on April 7, just in time for their third trip to Saturday Night Live, where they also debuted the soul-snatching love letter “Walls” alongside Jon Bellion, Kirk Franklin, and a swelling choir. One week later, they played a one-night-only show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. They indulged their fandoms, too — going viral for their play-by-play of a Philadelphia Phillies-New York Yankees game and representing the New York Giants at the 2023 NFL Draft.

we want to stake our claim to what we love.

We've always kind of forged our own path.

we look back on what we've done all these years

with big smiles on our faces

WE WANT TO STAKE OUR CLAIM TO WHAT WE LOVE.

WE'VE ALWAYS KIND OF FORGED OUR OWN PATH.

We are exactly where we need to be as artists,

telling the stories that we want to tell.

JUNE 1, 2023

BY: Megan Armstrong

IT was on our own terms.

Deciding to do this again as a band,

with big smiles on our faces

WE LOOK BACK ON WHAT WE'VE DONE ALL THESE YEARS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Paul L. CarteR

EDITION 23 June 2023

And then, the Miami Grand Prix on the first weekend of May, kicking off The Album’s release week. The Formula 1 spectacle featured the Jonas Brothers performing at the Hard Rock Beach Club, posing with the likes of tennis all-timer Roger Federer on the grid, and touring the Alpine garage. “It was the first time I've ever walked the grid,” Kevin says. “The prestige and the anticipation for these racers to get going, it was wonderful to be there.” And the Jonas Brothers have been there. Their tread is well worn in the destructively disorienting relevance race every young pop star unwillingly enters. In many ways, the Miami Grand Prix epitomized the Jonas Brothers’ first run from their formation in 2005 until their 2013 breakup. No time to feel, think, or process. Just go. “I mean, the early days of our career — moments like an album release week — came with a lot of firsts, a lot of anxiety, and a lot of incredible moments,” Nick says, validating a potentially cringe-worthy Miami Grand Prix metaphor. “But now, we are more comfortable in our own skin. It’s a unique spot to be in.” The Jonas Brothers have done what few, if any, former teenage boy bands can claim: Run it back with eyes toward the future and every intention to be better than before. Their decision to end a nearly six-year hiatus in 2019 began as a healing practice in nostalgia with their vulnerable Amazon Prime Video documentary, Chasing Happiness. Quickly, though, it became anything but a grasp at the past. Happiness Begins rewrote the script as their third-career No. 1 Billboard 200 album, housing their first-ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, “Sucker.” Inevitably, they endured the nerves inherent in putting themselves out there again, wondering whether anyone would take them seriously or want an evolved version of the Jonas Brothers at all. “For me, the Happiness Begins chapter of our journey was really affirming and not the kind of thing where the success of ‘Sucker’ and the album added more pressure for us to back it up. It just sort of gave us the ability to take a deep breath for the first time,” Nick realizes, giggling in relief. The Album, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, sets them in an uninhibited lane. The Jonas Brothers aren’t racing against any external forces anymore; they are driven internally. In the intervening four years between Happiness Begins and The Album, Joe, 33, Kevin, 35, and Nick, 30, had an epiphany: There is no expiration date on their Jonas Brothers ambitions. This is forever. “I think that's why we were particular when it came to the name of our last album and last tour,” Joe says. “We weren't saying this is a reunion or tribute tour. We were out there playing new music. We feel like we're in the best years of our lives. We're competitive, and we want to continue to set the bar higher for ourselves. Yeah, we are in our thirties, but we feel like brand new artists every day when we wake up and we get to do what we love.”

That developed sense of freedom drew the Brothers toward Bellion, who executive produced The Album and is the LP’s lone featured artist. Joe, Kevin, and Nick had admired Bellion’s work from afar, both as a solo artist as well as his behind-the-scenes presence in other A-list artists’ discographies (Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus). They were introduced through mutual friends, and it immediately became clear just how much they mutually shared during their first hang at Nick’s Los Angeles home studio last spring. “My first thought was, I wonder how down they would be to completely overhaul their sound?” Bellion tells Uproxx via email. “I loved that they were my age and in a similar stage of life as me. I felt like I could relate to their perspectives, making the creative process much more streamlined. I also loved the idea of not chasing anything trendy at all but doing an undeniable batch of records still firmly placed in their actual reality of being dads and husbands, while sonically outshining the rest of the marketplace. Not really engineering hits for hit purposes, but expressing their reality and arranging great musical sections that feel satisfying and summery — wave after wave, bar after bar, section after section. It produced this yacht rock, nostalgic, barbecue-from-the-future thing that feels insane.” The Album was under construction for nine months as the Brothers bounced between Bellion’s New York base and LA to record, letting “each of the songs to get in our systems” and “living with a song for a long time,” Nick explains. But they couldn’t have sat comfortably with Bellion in the present without retracing, and ultimately embracing, their past.

“Jersey!” It was Bellion’s idea to have that be the emphatic first word on The Album’s funk-tinged, soaring opener, “Miracle,” as a subtle yet unmistakable recognition of Joe, Kevin, and Nick’s formative years in New Jersey before the rest of the album unpacks how they’ve outgrown them. Kevin was born in New Jersey, Joe was born in Arizona, and Nick was born in Dallas, Texas. (Frankie, the youngest Jonas, was also born in Jersey.) Their father, Kevin Sr., was a minister, mobilizing whenever someone needed saving. The Album’s ‘70s-soaked sonic palette was inspired by the artists Kevin Sr. raised them on — the Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, Frankie Valli, the Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, et cetera. The Jonas Brothers allow for the possibility that it’s their subconscious reclamation of their adolescence, choosing which pieces they wish to preserve, before the public wrestled their autonomy away. “I've never thought about it that way, but these things are close to our hearts,” Kevin says. “Maybe there is a piece of that — that we want to stake our claim to what we love. We've always kind of forged our own path.”

Nick dipped his toe in first, hand-picked at a Jersey hair salon to start appearing on Broadway by seven years old. Kevin and Joe naturally wanted in on the fun, with Joe following Nick into musical acting while Kevin’s niche was commercial acting. Their mother, Denise Jonas, spent countless hours driving 45 minutes back-and-forth from the family home to New York City — a sacrifice her sons see in a brighter light as girl dads. “I'm still a little ways away from when she will be the age that I was when I started singing,” says Nick, whose daughter, Malti, with his wife, the actress Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, was born via surrogate in January 2022. “The experience of being a parent and trying to be as present and thoughtful as possible, I look at our parents and have an immense amount of gratitude for how engaged they were with all of us and supportive.” Columbia Records signed the Jonas Brothers in 2005 off of “Please Be Mine.” There was an air of secrecy around their secular breakthrough because of Kevin Sr.’s stature as a pastor, and the family lived down the street from the church in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Once their success became impossible to suppress, the church and community effectively shunned the family, forcing them to move to a two-bedroom in Little Falls, New Jersey. For their Chasing Happiness documentary, Joe, Kevin, and Nick revisited their former Wyckoff church and home and were promptly kicked off of church grounds.

Nick dipped his toe in first, hand-picked at a Jersey hair salon to start appearing on Broadway at seven years old. Kevin and Joe naturally wanted in on the fun, with Joe following Nick into musical acting while Kevin’s niche was commercial acting. Their mother, Denise Jonas, spent countless hours driving 45 minutes back-and-forth from the family home to New York City — a sacrifice her sons see in a brighter light as girl dads. “I'm still a little ways away from when she will be the age that I was when I started singing,” says Nick, whose daughter, Malti, with his wife, the actress Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, was born via surrogate in January 2022. “The experience of being a parent and trying to be as present and thoughtful as possible, I look at our parents and have an immense amount of gratitude for how engaged they were with all of us and supportive.” Columbia Records signed the Jonas Brothers in 2005 off of “Please Be Mine.” There was an air of secrecy around their secular breakthrough because of Kevin Sr.’s stature as a pastor, and the family lived down the street from the church in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Once their success became impossible to suppress, the church and community effectively shunned the family, forcing them to move to a two-bedroom in Little Falls, New Jersey.

“There’s not a longing to go back. If the invite was there, I would definitely like to [visit] our childhood home, walk through the hallways and reminisce. I just want to go back to our favorite bagel shop, Goldberg Bagels,” says Joe, who married Game Of Thrones actress Sophie Turner in 2019, sharing two daughters together. “I have not been to the house, but I drive by it a lot, ironically,” adds Kevin, who resides in New Jersey with his wife of 13 years, Danielle Jonas, and their two daughters, Alena and Valentina. That easily could have been this story’s end. The Jonas Brothers’ August 2006 debut LP, It’s About Time, fell flat. Columbia dropped them. But Disney’s Hollywood Records scooped them up in early 2007, whisking them away to LA and expediting the whirlwind: albums Jonas Brothers (2007), A Little Bit Longer (2008), and Lines, Vines, And Trying Times (2009) — the latter two debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and ubiquitous hits such as “Year 3000,” “S.O.S.,” “Love Bug,” and “Burnin’ Up,” not to mention the zeitgeisty Disney Channel movie Camp Rock, the series Jonas, or the relentless touring. Disney child stars have universally struggled with the inhumane expectations of maintaining a squeaky-clean image; that pressure was compounded for the Jonas Brothers because of their Christian background, perpetuating that they were nothing more than purity rings and pop-culture fodder. Let’s call it what it was: They were cruelly bullied — booed when shown on stadium Jumbotrons and punchlines for comedians or late-night hosts. “You always want to be accepted by your peers,” Nick says. “In retrospect, it's just that we didn't take steps to grow musically, to grow our brand, and widen our audience. There was the collision of the fact that the foundation of our fan base initially was built around what can be a sort of loose foundation to build on: teenagers, who inevitably will grow up and grow out of the things they love in their teens.” Joe echoes, “We learned to laugh at some of the moments when we were taking ourselves too seriously or at comedians making fun of us. Now, we love it. Of course, there are some that still come with trauma, and there have been great therapy sessions to help with that. For the most part, we look back on what we've done all these years with big smiles on our faces.”

For their Chasing Happiness documentary, Joe, Kevin, and Nick revisited their former Wyckoff church and home and were promptly kicked off of church grounds. “There’s not a longing to go back. If the invite was there, I would definitely like to [visit] our childhood home, walk through the hallways and reminisce. I just want to go back to our favorite bagel shop, Goldberg Bagels,” says Joe, who married Game Of Thrones actress Sophie Turner in 2019, sharing two daughters together. “I have not been to the house, but I drive by it a lot, ironically,” adds Kevin, who resides in New Jersey with his wife of 13 years, Danielle Jonas, and their two daughters, Alena and Valentina. That easily could have been this story’s end. The Jonas Brothers’ August 2006 debut LP, It’s About Time, fell flat. Columbia dropped them. But Disney’s Hollywood Records scooped them up in early 2007, whisking them away to LA and expediting the whirlwind: albums Jonas Brothers (2007), A Little Bit Longer (2008), and Lines, Vines, And Trying Times (2009) — the latter two debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and ubiquitous hits such as “Year 3000,” “S.O.S.,” “Love Bug,” and “Burnin’ Up,” not to mention the zeitgeisty Disney Channel movie Camp Rock, the series Jonas, or the relentless touring. Disney child stars have universally struggled with the inhumane expectations of maintaining a squeaky-clean image; that pressure was compounded for the Jonas Brothers because of their Christian background, perpetuating that they were nothing more than purity rings and pop-culture fodder. Let’s call it what it was: They were cruelly bullied — booed when shown on stadium Jumbotrons and punchlines for comedians or late-night hosts.

“You always want to be accepted by your peers,” Nick says. “In retrospect, it's just that we didn't take steps to grow musically, to grow our brand, and widen our audience. There was the collision of the fact that the foundation of our fan base initially was built around what can be a sort of loose foundation to build on: teenagers, who inevitably will grow up and grow out of the things they love in their teens.” Joe echoes, “We learned to laugh at some of the moments when we were taking ourselves too seriously or at comedians making fun of us. Now, we love it. Of course, there are some that still come with trauma, and there have been great therapy sessions to help with that. For the most part, we look back on what we've done all these years with big smiles on our faces.” The Jonas Brothers wouldn’t be able to look back empathetically if they hadn’t broken up in 2013 — allowing room for appreciation to grow in place of budding bitterness. The split was initiated by Nick, feeling aged out before having the chance to explore his individuality. It benefited all of them in the long run. Kevin swapped music for fatherhood, real estate, and reality television (Married To Jonas). Nick leaned into his pop/R&B tastes with solo smashes like “Close” and “Jealous” and two top-10 albums, Nick Jonas (2014) and Last Year Was Complicated (2016). Joe formed DNCE, the genre-defying group with a sense of humor as poignant as their knack for earworms, responsible for the 2015 phenomenon “Cake By The Ocean.” Joe was the last to co-sign the Jonas Brothers’ reunion in 2019. He worried about the risk of damaging their relationship again, and if so, would it be irreparable? But after allowing their human lives to catch up to their celebrity profiles, they earned tangible proof that the Jonas Brothers wasn’t their entire identity. Joe is Joe, Kevin is Kevin, and Nick is Nick. Each man’s irreplaceable character makes the Jonas Brothers whole. They are brothers first, the Jonas Brothers second. From being physically born in different states to hitting life milestones in staggered order, The Album captures them at their most aligned. “From ‘Little Bird’ being about their daughters, to ‘Walls’ being about their wives, all the way to ‘Waffle House’ being about getting into fights as brothers, the world is going to have a musical insight they have never had access to before,” Bellion says. “There is bravery and maturity in that. This is just as much about surprising original fans as it is inviting people who may have thought the Brothers weren’t for them.”

The Jonas Brothers wouldn’t be able to look back empathetically if they hadn’t broken up in 2013 — allowing room for appreciation to grow in place of budding bitterness. The split was initiated by Nick, feeling aged out before having the chance to explore his individuality. It benefited all of them in the long run. Kevin swapped music for fatherhood, real estate, and reality television (Married To Jonas). Nick leaned into his pop/R&B tastes with solo smashes like “Close” and “Jealous” and two top-10 albums, Nick Jonas (2014) and Last Year Was Complicated (2016). Joe formed DNCE, the genre-defying group with a sense of humor as poignant as their knack for earworms, responsible for the 2015 phenomenon “Cake By The Ocean.” Joe was the last to co-sign the Jonas Brothers’ reunion in 2019. He worried about the risk of damaging their relationship again, and if so, would it be irreparable? But after allowing their human lives to catch up to their celebrity profiles, they earned tangible proof that the Jonas Brothers wasn’t their entire identity. Joe is Joe, Kevin is Kevin, and Nick is Nick. Each man’s irreplaceable character makes the Jonas Brothers whole. They are brothers first, the Jonas Brothers second. From being physically born in different states to hitting life milestones in staggered order, The Album captures them at their most aligned. “From ‘Little Bird’ being about their daughters, to ‘Walls’ being about their wives, all the way to ‘Waffle House’ being about getting into fights as brothers, the world is going to have a musical insight they have never had access to before,” Bellion says. “There is bravery and maturity in that. This is just as much about surprising original fans as it is inviting people who may have thought the Brothers weren’t for them.”

The Jonas Brothers co-sign one more sports metaphor before our hour-long conversation ends, even if it’s likely only because I played to their Yankee-fan sensibilities. Aaron Judge enjoyed an all-time season in 2022, blasting a record-breaking 62 home runs en route to the American League MVP. He played his best ball at 30 years old, just like the Jonas Brothers surging artistically in their 30s. “Thirty is the new 18,” Kevin quips. Luckily, they’re not seen as NFL players, often considered washed by 30. “Knock on wood,” Joe says. If the pre-hiatus years were akin to Formula 1, the Jonas Brothers are inarguably settled peacefully into their baseball era: Trusting good things come in time, at an undetermined pace. Nobody, not even a beloved Yankee, can precisely mirror the Jonas Brothers’ nuanced career arc. Still, an aspirational role model comes to Nick’s mind: “We all grew up watching Derek Jeter and the golden era of the Yankees teams that won a bunch of championships. He’s certainly an icon here in New York and New Jersey, so the invite is there if The Captain wants to come back to Yankee Stadium for the show.” And we’re back to the bucket list. The Jonas Brothers will open The Tour — “Five Albums. One Night.” — at Yankee Stadium on August 12-13. According to Joe, another item on the list could be MetLife Stadium to round out their “Holy Trinity of the Tri-State area,” with Madison Square Garden and soon-to-be Yankee Stadium checked.

The first song on the canvas was “Montana Sky,” a bursting proclamation that sounds as vast as its title but is rooted in acute lyrics like, “I’ve got brothers in their thirties back in Jersey, but your heart is where I’m home.” “The minute we heard ‘Montana Sky’ was one of those aha moments of, Holy shit. This is why we came back. This is the reason why we're still doing it. The same feeling when we heard ‘Sucker’ for the first time,” Joe says. And as they take The Album on the road, home will be with each other on stage — a gift they nearly lost — and fans will be waiting at the doorstep, ready to kick the door in. “It's opening up that experience for people who were depriving themselves of it before,” Joe explains. “The beauty of getting older, you just get more comfortable with who you are and you care less about what people think. It's been really fun to see people experience a show or just admit to being fans in a way that they couldn't before for whatever insecurity was surrounding it.” Maybe someone who wanted nothing more than to belt “Year 3000” will finally let loose during The Tour, where no song will be off limits. Someone else could release unresolved angst through a healthy scream-sing of “Waffle House.” Maybe other fans who have recently entered parenthood will cry at “Little Bird,” the acoustic ballad sparked by Kevin’s bird tattoos for his daughters and wife, illustrating the delicacy of the father-daughter bond.

“My girls came to our Broadway residency," Kevin recalls, "and our oldest, Alena, brought one of her best friends with her. So not only is it that they’re coming, but they’re bringing their friends and they’re having a ball and singing along.” Though the Jonas Brothers are happily married with children, they still authentically appeal to newly converted, next-generation fans via certifiable, steamy bangers like “Summer Baby,” “Summer In The Hamptons,” and “Vacation Eyes.” “It’s the start of a new chapter,” Nick says. “For people to listen and feel good, that's the ultimate goal, to be honest. Kacey Musgrave’s Golden Hour made us all feel that way. You can just put it on, and it takes you to a place. That’s what we wanted this album to be. It doesn't need to be overly profound. Can we bring something good into people's lives, remain true to ourselves, and say what we want to say musically and emotionally?” “We are exactly where we need to be as artists, telling the stories that we want to tell,” Nick later adds. “If you were gonna pull out one album from our discography and show it to someone who’s never listened to our music before, we felt The Album best represents who the Jonas Brothers really are.” Compare their careers to Formula 1 or baseball. Project unto them whatever perception. The Jonas Brothers are playing their own game, redefining the parameters and rewriting the rules. Difficult never meant impossible.

Writer: Megan Armstrong (@documeg) Photographer: Paul L. Carter (@langstoncarter) Groomer: Kumi Craig (@kumicraig) Stylist: Sydney Lopez (@sydneylopez) Styling Assistant: Caitlin Harvey (@caitlinharveyy) Digital Design: Daisy James (@djamesdesign) Digital Design: Carlos Sotelo Olivas (@barlosx)