Review: Nick Jonas - Nick Jonas
By Haadiza Ogwude, Contributor
[Island Records; 2014]
Rating: 6.5/10
Key Tracks: “Numb,” “Teacher,” “Jealous"
Nick Jonas’ transition from pre-teen Disney boy band to male pop star has been interesting to say the least. For the past four years, Nick Jonas has been a solo artist searching for his sound, and it is safe to say he still has some searching to do. However, his new album Nick Jonas displays considerable growth and maturity. On Nick Jonas, he adds diversity to his music by mixing his style with many other genres of music.
“Numb” highlights Jonas’ genre expansion the best. This song has a heavy mainstream hip-hop influence. Jonas collaborates with rapper Angel Haze on this track. Although Jonas does not rap, he does drop the F-bomb in the first verse. Jonas' use of colorful language proves that he has come a long way from the cookie cutter boy band image he’s had for most of his career.
A pop track that exemplifies Jonas' growth and diversity, “Teacher” is a very upbeat song with sexy lyrics and also has a lot of funk influences. Jonas resembles a young Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke in this song. “Teacher” has a funky retro vibe that makes you want to just get up and dance.
The album’s first single, “Jealous,” is another really good pop production. Once again, Jonas resembles a young Justin Timberlake on this track. The song also displays Jonas' vocal talent; there is a point when the song strips down to just his raw voice and a light synth.
Another track that adds to his newfound diversity is “I Want You.” It has a bit of a rock sound, mostly throughout the verses. However, the vocals and lyrics have a commercial pop sound. In this track, Jonas uses more profanity; understandably he is trying to expand his image, but the profanity in this song is unnecessary. It is placed at an awkward part in the song and adds nothing to the song lyrically.
The second and last collaboration of the album, “Avalanche,” features Demi Lovato. Together, their vocals blend beautifully. The vocal ranges on this song are impressive, but the lyrics are very commercial. None of the lyrics sound very unique or original.
Overall, Nick Jonas is a huge change from Jonas' 2010 album Who Am I, and an even bigger change from his previous Jonas Brothers' albums. It is clear that the youngest Jo Bro has outgrown his boy band image and musical style. He has managed to cross over into mainstream pop without losing too much of his rugged vocal texture. Despite the album’s strong personality and instrumental quality, Jonas just isn’t quite at the same level as those who inspired his latest work.
