For the first time in 5 years, Nick Jonas has released his fifth solo studio album called Sunday Best. This Jonas brother dropped the 11 track album, claiming it is one of the most personal albums he has recorded.
Following the release of his last album Spaceman, Jonas has continued to embrace his real life experiences throughout each song. Sunday Best expresses that, at this stage in his life, he wants to show up as the best version of himself.
With JP Saxe being on the writing and production team, Nick has been able to create a sentimental piece of work. This album hits the soul of everyone who listens to his music. Plus, he has explained that this album has been “33 years in the making” – despite it only taking a year or so to complete. Therefore, there are definitely references to his upbringing and his past and present relationships.
With the first track “Sweet to Me”, fans are hit with stories of small yet significant memories from Nick’s life. These consist of renting movies with his Dad from Blockbuster and watching watermelon seeds grow in his backyard. Additionally, listeners are hit with a gospel moment – reflecting back to his church roots as a kid. There are also lyrics relating back to his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis from when he was thirteen.
The second track on the album “Handprints” discusses how he wants to slow down time after becoming a father even with a busy career.
“‘Cause it won’t be to long now, too long/ Till it’s FaceTime goodnights at 9am”
This song was also where he described the reality of how quickly life changes. During one of the album preview shows, he explained how the LA wildfires were a turning point in his life before moving to New York. This was around the time he was about to star in the Broadway show “The Last Five Years”. So there were definitely some big changes within his life.
“I Need You” has been described as a love letter to his wife Priyanka Chopra and for their daughter Malti. He explained that he wanted their daughter to learn and experience what love should feel like through this specific song. Plus, there is references to Nick’s church past once again with the gospel-like vocals in the background. This song also feels like something that should have been on his Spaceman album back in 2021.
The fourth track “You Got Me” has been nicknamed ‘Lovebug’s cousin”. Lovebug is one of the Jonas Brothers’ most popular song, which Nick wrote about Disney star Miley Cyrus in 2007. However, this time around, “You Got Me” feels so much more personal. With a similar narrative to “I Need You”, this specific track is targeted more towards Priyanka and their relationship. At first listen, the melody of this song does sound like something you would hear in a Camp Rock film.
“I’m not scared to fall/I’m not scared at all/Take my hand and know/That you got me”
“Gut Punch” was released as a single to promote this album on New Years Day. Jonas expressed throughout the track that he is always too harsh on himself whilst being a people pleaser. He wrote this song as a reminder to start being nicer to himself and stop putting pressure on himself. As a result, he posted to his TikTok a video with some affirmations to help others stop being self critical of themselves.
You can watch the “Gut Punch” music video here!
Nick’s song “Hope” shares similar ballads to songs from his 2016 album Last Year Was Complicated. This time with the repeated gospel-like backing vocals we see throughout the album. This track in particular describes Jonas’ church experiences when he was a child (especially with a father who was an ordinated minister). In addition, “Hope” tells the story that he is going through changes throughout his life that he wants to discuss.
“Changing, Lord, I’ve been going through changes/And my faith’s still strong, but it won’t last long/If I don’t hear from you someday soon”
A song that is very different and unique from Jonas’ normal style is “Seeing Ghosts”. He told a small audience during a preview that this song (in particular) was inspired by the Motown genre. Therefore, him and his group of producers played about with modern music elements whilst including some traditional Motown sounds. Listeners can also hear classic instruments too such as trumpets. Furthermore, there is once again references to Jonas’ time within the church environment.
“I’d never lie to you, it’s biblical, yeah/My premonition is you could get used to this/My superstition is you belong on my lips”
Furthermore, the eighth track on Nick’s album “Aphrodite” is one of those most beautiful tracks. This song in particular reminded me of his 2016 album once again with its similar melodies. Once again, listeners discover that “Aphrodite” is another long song towards Priyanka. And honestly, it is evident how much he truly loves her from this album alone. Plus, Jonas explained how this was originally going to be a Jonas Brothers song but instead he kept it for himself.
Probably the most anticipated release from this album is “911”. The melodies throughout this song changes throughout, making it one of those unique but creative tracks. “911” describes a narrative of moving on from someone that you truly cared about, but also how challenging that can be. Although there is a meaningful story behind this track, the melodies give a sexy-like impression. As a result, this song in particular feels like a transportation back to his 2014 self titled album.
“They say the ones that love you, they gon’ hurt the most/But baby, I can’t help but take it personal”
The tenth song on this album highlights just as important family is to Jonas. With “The Greatest”, Nick’s brothers Joe and Kevin join him in describing the struggles of going through an incredibly difficult breakup or heartbreak. This track reminds them that they have each other to support them when they are going through a challenging moment in their lives. Plus, “The Greatest” feels like the second chapter of “Selfish” from Spaceman. This is the second song that Nick has released that features his older brothers, and it’s definitely an emotional one. Considering they have been through so much as a family with their successful careers, this definitely hit in all the right places
“Oh, isn’t it nice to know/Of all the scars and all my heartbreaks/Those hit hard, but you’re the greatest?
Finally, the eleventh song is solely dedicated to his daughter. He wrote “Princesses” about one of the moments he played princesses with her and how she doesn’t want her to grow up. As a father, Jonas references how fast she is truly growing up (Malti has recently just turned 4) and how before long she will no longer want to dress up like she does now.
Overall, Sunday Best is definitely Nick’s most personal piece of work. With narratives to his childhood in New Jersey, his life with Priyanka and Malti alongside the support from his older brothers, this album is incredibly emotional and filled with incredible memories from his life.
You can stream the Sunday Best album here:
