It first came to Instagram. Perhaps the three brothers were all sitting in the same room and pushed the “share” button all at the exact same time. Perhaps Nick wanted to reinforce the dominance he’s been slowly establishing since 2013, and he posted the first picture. Even more likely, perhaps Kevin wasn’t even told about their new song coming out until he saw the other posts. But no matter how it happened, what matters is that it did: The Jonas Brothers are reunited, and they’ve released a new single called “Sucker.”
The response to this news was overwhelming and instant. Almost every single girl I knew under the age of 25 posted on their stories — memes, reposts of the “Sucker” cover photo or proof of their old obsession with the Jonas Brothers. Granted, it probably would have been more annoying if the situation itself wasn’t so insanely momentous. And everyone was excited (I mean everyone), so people weren’t posting to prove something — they were posting because it was necessary.
The song was released at midnight on March 1, after the announcement went out earlier the day before. Naturally, James Corden was on top of the news, and the Jonas Brothers were on an episode of Carpool Karaoke before heading to Corden’s Late Late Show — redubbed Late Late Jonas — for an entire week. Needless to say, the brothers have successfully capitalized on their recent increased media presence. At least, Joe and Nick have. Sorry again, Kevin.
Joe and Nick have been active in the music industry for a while now. Joe’s band (ex-band?) DNCE released hugely popular hits like “Cake by the Ocean” and “Toothbrush,” which, I would argue, just sound like slightly elevated, more diverse versions of Jonas Brothers songs. Nick’s solo career has also taken off, with his singles “Chains” and “Jealous,” with the latter being his first hit to break the top 10. I have no idea what Kevin’s been up to, but I hope he was leading a happy life with his wife Danielle and their children. Joe and Nick remained in the public eye but in a way that seemed much more lowkey than their Jonas Brothers era fame. That is, until their leading ladies came into the picture.
Enter Sophie Turner, a human being in whom I have yet to find a flaw. She plays Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, and she and Joe seemed an unlikely but quickly lovable couple, especially when the two got engaged in 2017. With the final season of Game of Thrones coming up, the Jonas Brothers’ album announcement couldn’t have been better timed for perfect publicity for the couple. Then there was the closest thing this country will ever get to a royal wedding: The incredibly extravagant wedding ceremony between Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, an actress who’s found extreme success in both the United States and India. Joe and Sophie and Nick and Priyanka garnered more success and public attention as couples than any of them had individually. Or so it appeared.
Then the Jonas Brothers released their song, and “Sucker” was exactly as expected. The Jonas Brothers’ music has always been incredible to, and here’s the key, teenage girls. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to insult the musical ear of preteens — because, of course, I was one of those girls. Like, I was really one of those girls. I believe that the Jonas Brothers’ music is objectively good, and everyone should like it. But if they’re ever inducted in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t think it’ll be for the complexity of their chord progressions (it will be because they’re a legendary group of bros who can write music that appeals to literally anyone). “Sucker” is fun, catchy and destined for years of radio play. It’s a great song, the Jonas Brothers didn’t take any major risks with it, and that’s more than okay. To be honest, it’s what we all wanted. It’s classic Jonas Brothers with a bit of a more modern sound and slightly less emo lyrics.
What was most impressive about their latest release, however, was the accompanying music video. If you haven’t seen it, picture this: Nick, Joe, Kevin, Priyanka, Sophie and Danielle performing in and around the X-Men mansion, clad in incredible clothing that you would only see in the Capitol in the Hunger Games series. It is almost as lavish as Nick and Priyanka’s wedding. There is no plot to the video: It is essentially the three brothers swooning over their lovely partners, who are decked out in clothes only slightly more extravagant than the men’s. I know some people who found it boring and predictable that the video featured just the three women, but I thought it was perfect. Thankfully, the Jonas Brothers seem to be aware of the pull Sophie and Priyanka (and Danielle, I guess) have on their audience. In addition, the music video reformed “Sucker” into a sweet dedication to the beauty and persuasion of their leading ladies, whereas before it had seemed like just another pop song about attraction.
“Sucker” is important primarily because the world without the Jonas Brothers in it, actively making music, was a worse place. That is a fact. But the music video shows that the Bros’ creativity has increased tenfold since their days of “Burnin’ Up” (something we all thought was impossible). They know their worth and their power, and they’re doing what they want to create unconditionally enjoyable content. I mean, did you see Joe’s pink outfit in the video? You would never catch him wearing that during the era of “A Little Bit Longer.” We all needed some Jonas Brothers personal growth, and I can’t wait to see what else they do.
