On October 29, 2013, the Jonas Brothers announced they were breaking up. The boys had been out of the public eye for a few years, but those of us who are still fans were devastated at the news.
For non fans, it can be easy to brush the Jonas Brothers off as another tween bubble gum flash in the pan. But they’re so much more than that, and they have lots of songs that showcase their musical talent. If you’re not a fan, you probably haven’t heard most of their songs, since the ones not released as singles didn’t get much publicity. But I encourage you to listen to my top picks and hopefully see this not-so-talentless group in a new light.
Please Be Mine: This song was on their debut album, It’s About Time, which was released in August 2006. Even though it’s little more than a simple love song, it’s become a fan favorite with sweet lyrics like “But I’ll be there forever, you will see that’s it better, all our hopes and our dreams will come true.”
Hey We’re Gonna Be Alright: This song was omitted from It’s About Time, but can still be found on YouTube. It’s not a love song at all, and features mostly the vocals of youngest brother Nick as he sings about life’s struggles, and how no matter how bad things seem, there’s always hope.
A Little Bit Longer: In 2005, just as the Jonas Brothers’ career was taking off, then-13-year old Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. A Little Bit Longer is about his struggle with the disease and was also the title track for their third album, which was released in 2008.
Lovebug: Lovebug was the second single from A Little Bit Longer. The boys wrote it while on tour with Miley Cyrus in 2007, and were inspired by the movie Juno. The first part of the song features a slow acoustic rhythm not usually associated with boy bands, then gets louder and faster near the end.
Black Keys: This is my favorite Jonas Brothers song. It mostly features the vocals of Nick, who wrote the song entirely on the black keys of a piano. The song also talks about the beauty in simple things, like black and white photographs, and how we sometimes mess up simplistically beautiful things with color or other enhancements.
Turn Right: Like Black Keys, Turn Right was on the boys’ fourth album, Lines, Vines, and Trying Times. It uses a racetrack as a metaphor for life, and addresses someone who keeps making the wrong decisions to change things up and “turn right” — though I wouldn’t recommend doing this on a real racetrack!
Take a Breath: This song was on the Bonus Jonas album, an enhanced version of their sophomore self-titled album. There’s not much information on it, but the lyrics pretty much give the meaning away: “Worlds are spinning ’round, there’s no time for slowing down, so won’t you take a breath.”
What are your favorite Jonas Brothers songs?
