Oct. 29, 2013, will always be considered the D-day equivalent in a millennial female’s life—not because a new species of dolphin was discovered off the coast of Australia and they no longer had the highest-pitched voice imaginable, but because it was the day the Jonas Brothers announced they would be splitting up.
Since then, Joe joined the band DNCE, who came out with “Cake by the Ocean,” Nick flourished in a solo career and Kevin…has been paid to attend a couple of sweet sixteens. And on Feb. 28, 2019, a new version of the famous “oh how the tables have turned” video was released by the Jo-bros. Also, they released a new song called “Sucker.” The song is slightly above average in terms of lyrical substance, but the combination of Nick’s alto voice and Joe’s role as baritone created an extremely entertaining and catchy chorus.
The two verses in the song are both sung by Nick, and both consist of only four lines and less than 30 words in total. The song, in essence, is about a girl that one (or potentially all) of the brothers are infatuated with and would pretty much do anything to get her to acknowledge them. It consists of a lighter rock instrumental, so it is mostly carried by Joe and Nick’s vocals, giving it an upbeat, pop-song vibe.
Now to analyze this song correctly, two comparisons must be made: first to the band’s previous work, and second to other boy band-esque pop groups that are currently popular. The Brothers’ comeback would create views and clicks so they will pretty much never lack in the popularity department no matter how mediocre their music becomes. So the question now is…does it hold up?
Their old music on the “Music from the 3D Concert Experience” album, including “Burnin’ Up,” “Hold On” and “That’s Just The Way We Roll” obviously had more of a rock vibe, so it doesn’t fare well for comparison. One thing that can be said is that they have kept up with the times in terms of what sound is popular, and they came together with seemingly the same chemistry that they had upwards of 10 years ago. However, other pop bands such as Why Don’t We and PRETTYMUCH, regardless of having substantially smaller fanbases, are beginning to make a name for themselves by making music that is getting exponentially better in a short period.
The Jonas Brothers, their oldest being 28-year-old useless Kevin, have had years to hone their skills and make connections in the music industry that should allow them to create some of the best and catchiest music this generation has ever heard. However, I would say that the main reason that this song will be stuck in a person’s head will be the insufferable radio time it will receive, as well as the hype around everyone’s favorite band from when they were in middle school getting back together.
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