First Posted: 9/22/2014
It is evident when asking Nick Jonas about his new single “Jealous” that while he may still have Joe and Kevin as brothers, he is no longer a “Jonas Brother” in the artistic sense.
“(My girlfriend and I) were out one night. I was getting annoyed,” recalled Jonas in an interview on “Ralphie Tonight.” “Somebody was staring at her ass the whole time. And I was just kind of like, ‘Yunno what? Instead of causing an issue with this guy, I’m going to go and write a song about it.’”
He wrote “Jealous,” inspired by his girlfriend Olivia Culpo, the next day. The song serves as the first single from Jonas’ forthcoming self-titled album, due out on Island Records November 11. A warm-up track, “Chains,” was released in July.
His new project marks a return to a major label for the 22 year-old, something he had hoped for. The Jonas Brothers recorded under Disney imprint Hollywood Records before going independent in May of 2012.
“Ironically enough, the guy that is now the head of the label I’m on signed me when I was 11,” noted Jonas. “Now 10, almost 11 years later we’re back at it together. It feels good.”
David Massey was the Executive Vice President of A&R for Columbia Records back in 2004 when he signed Jonas and subsequently his brothers. Massey left the label in 2007 and is now the president of Island Records, credited with bringing Avicii and Iggy Azalea on board; the latter is currently a part of Def Jam’s roster.
“It’s been a great journey,” reflected Jonas. “The team at Island is just great.”
That team is currently working on getting Jonas’ single back on the radio. As for the singer himself, he has already performed “Jealous” on NBC’s “Today” and in perhaps the last place you’d expect to see a Jonas Brother: gay nightclubs.
“When the Jonas Brothers decided to split, Nick and I had a conversation the next day,” Massey explained to Billboard.com. “We have this soulful contemporary direction — it enables him to use his falsetto, and there’s groove and warmth to it. Playing in gay clubs is all about widening the audience, and the gay audience is a tastemaker audience who recognize great music.”
But 2007 it’s not anymore. Nick doesn’t have Joe and Kevin by his side – nor does he have a purity ring on his finger. Instead he has a former Miss Universe on his arm and a new album that chronicles his growth out soon on a major record label.