2013 and 2014 have held a notable reputation for reintroducing Disney child stars to their former relevance. Last year, it was Miley Cyrus with “We Can’t Stop,” and now it’s Nick Jonas with “Jealous.”
Nick Jonas released “Jealous,” the first single off of his upcoming album, Nick Jonas, on September 8, 2014. The sudden release came as a surprise to most, especially because “Jealous” is actually pretty catchy. It remains locked in the Billboard Top 100, leaving many wondering where Nick Jonas even came from in the first place.
Taking a trip back in time (to when Disney Channel was still good), Nick and his brothers Joe and Kevin made up the Jonas Brothers band. This is where Nick Jonas first gained recognition as a musician. Together, the brothers dominated the Disney tweenybop culture in the mid-late 2000’s, producing several memorable songs and TV shows/movies until their untimely demise. After an unsuccessful comeback in 2013, the band officially split for good.
Ever since the “brother breakup”, Nick Jonas has been reportedly working to make a name for himself again, but this time as a solo artist. He’s released numerous singles in addition to “Jealous,” like “Wilderness,” “Numb,” “Chains,” and “Teacher.” All of the songs exemplify a more mature sound and touch on more mature topics, like the physical and deeply rooted emotional parts of love and heartbreak — quite a change from the Jo-Bro’s “Year 3000.”
That’s not all Jonas has done to shed his innocent Disney-shaped image. The twenty-two year old recently did a racy, half-naked (NSFW) photoshoot for Flaunt Magazine. The controversial stunt earned him a fair amount of publicity for his upcoming album, as well as awe-inspired responses from the rest of the world. A well thought out Miley-esque move on his part.
Regardless, it’s definitely been interesting to see a trend among now “grown up” child stars. They completely reinvent themselves as musicians/actors and work to do whatever it takes to let the world know, “Hey! I’m not twelve anymore!” and hey — we’re noticing.
