The Jonas Brothers got a feature in the October issue of Out magazine (the one with Joseph Gordon Levitt on the cover) to promote their upcoming album, V. It’s their fifth album as a group, so don’t get all excited that “V” means something else. Har har.
This is something of a regroup for the boys, who all went their separate ways a few years ago to figure out that no one cared about them as individual entities. That sounds pretty harsh, but I do speak as the mother of a tween who went absolutely crazy watching the Jo Bros at a local show about five years ago. As far as I can remember, middle child Joe and youngest sibling Nick (the one with actual talent) both released solo albums that went nowhere. As to the eldest of the bunch, Kevin got married and did a reality show with his new wife with whom he is currently expecting their first child. These boys were Disney entities, so they now need some money of their own. Hence the new album and the sucking up to their gay audience in Out. I am a little bit obsessed with Nick’s new guns. Damn!
On “First Time,” their first single and video since 2009
Joe Jonas: “We had planned a big, elaborate video, but the song leaked, so we had to think of a way to make a video in a short span of time. Nick was on his way to host the Miss USA pageant in Vegas, so we figured, let’s shoot a video in Vegas and fly in all of our friends. We spent the money we had for the video to throw a party and film it. People assume that we’re still these young kids. It shows us all as adults having a good time and enjoying ourselves.”
On taking time off to focus on solo projects
Kevin Jonas: “For seven years, it was nonstop. We had moments where we got frustrated with one another and we really just needed time alone. You can imagine what it’s like for a band to be together all the time, but imagine if they’re family, too. Taking that break was so nice because we worked our asses off, but we did things for ourselves. Then, we came back at the right time to do this all over again.”
On maturing
Nick: “Something we’ve been more comfortable with this go-round, rather than three or four years ago, is being more opinionated.”
Joe: “You get to this point where you can’t live your life trying to satisfy everybody, personally or as a musician. Somebody’s going to find something negative. So we were like, Let’s just be who we are and have opinions — whether it’s on politics or music — and really show who we are as people.”
Kevin: “With being able to take back masters of our songs and become our own bosses in a way, we have a lot of people hearing new stuff, and maybe they have had misconceptions in the past of who we are as a band. At the end of the day, I think people are surprised to know that we’re a rock band at our core. Things have started to shift where people are starting to feel the passion behind the art that we’re doing.”
On those pesky gay rumors
Joe: “We have a lot of gay friends and gay fans. It’s a boy band stereotype; people assume, but we don’t take offense.”
Nick: “Prior to us being a band, I was a super theater geek. I loved theater and I still do, and I care about fashion, and I care about a lot of things that I feel like stereotypes are attached to.”
Joe: “[Being in Out] is a moment for us for sure. We keep saying, ‘Well, it’s about time.'”
On leaving their label, Hollywood Records/Disney
Nick: “I think we realized that, creatively, we were in very different places.”
Joe: “We were in that place where we were starting to think about being able to make our grown-up record. We didn’t want to talk about if they would put a parental advisory label on it.”
On Miley Cyrus’s VMA performance
Joe: [Hesitates] “It wasn’t my favorite performance of hers. I think that there’s one way of saying you’ve grown up, and there’s another way — I think that’s her way. Look, people are talking about it, so I think it’s working for what she wants.”
Nick Jonas: “She’s smart. She’s very smart. We’ve always known that about her. She’ll always be successful. [The performance] was funny — I was laughing.”
On Demi Lovato’s twerking moratorium
Joe: “I’m great [with twerking]. I’m with it.”
Nick: “I’m against it. I’ve just reached my limit. It’s just done. It’s too much.”
Joe: “Bring it on. I’m a fan. I just think it’s appropriate for the right people. Not everyone can twerk.”
Kevin: “I’m straight down the middle. The right amount at the right time.”
[From Out magazine]
These poor boys have been dodging rumors of their sexual orientation ever since they became famous. Was it really seven years of Jonas before they “broke up” the band? That makes me feel so old. I don’t really care whether any of them are gay or hetero — that’s their business. What I do care about is how Nick’s arms have grown at an exponential rate since their last album. For comparison’s sake, here are the Jonases with Demi Lovato in 2010. Nick certainly didn’t have those arms back then.
Here’s the Jonas brothers with their ladies at Nick’s 21st birthday party in Vegas on 9/15.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Out magazine
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