The bros are back

Whether you like it or not, the Jonas Brothers are back and hotter, and older, than ever. The dynamic trio that stole teenagers’ hearts around the world released a new song this past week called “Sucker,” relaunching their music careers as a unified band. It has been 13 years since their iconic “Year 3000” came out and six years since they confirmed their split. Now, in 2019, Kevin and Nick are married and Joe is engaged with plans of a summer wedding, crushing all of the hopes and dreams we had as kids. The Jonas Brothers have grown and their fans from Disney Channel have with them.

“I was never super invested in them growing up but I was still excited to see their comeback,” student Emme Lipscomb said. “It’s weird to see something you’re interested in as a kid progress as you progress.”

A day before releasing “Sucker,” the Jonas Brothers teased previews, alerting the world of their comeback, and nearly broke the internet. “Sucker” is an upbeat pop song that you cannot help but sway to. It references drunkenly stumbling out of bars and their relationships, acknowledging their age without overdoing it. The sound is different compared to their early music, which possessed a definitive pop punk sound that wrapped up their carefully crafted image, but has promising potential for them to break the wall into the pop music world.

They released a music video alongside the song that features their significant others that they just so happen to be singing about. Directed by Anthony Mandler, a renowned music video director, the video is quirky, campy and lighthearted – exactly what the tone of the song calls for. It shows the Jonas Brothers serenading their loved ones and dancing around the extravagant Hatfield House in rural England in breathtaking costumes.

Although “Sucker” has received plenty of praise from music critics and fans, not everyone is ready to let go of the band’s teenage years.

“The Jonas Brothers were my first crushes,” said Hannah McNulty, reminiscing on her past watching Disney. “Now, I think they are trying to appeal to what’s popular in music right now, which I don’t like. I want their old sound.”

Although their sound has drastically changed, even in the style that they sing, they have grown, just like the rest of us. It is hard not to hear their voices and have flashbacks to jumping around your bedroom as a 10-year-old and dream about going back to those days, but change is inevitable. Now that they are away from Disney, they have autonomy over their music, and their artistic expression and general happiness are evident in the song and the music video.

Before rejoining, they underwent a year of therapy in order to figure out their needs and move past their breakup. In an episode of James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke,” Nick explained that a year ago they wanted to make a documentary about their upbringing and lives as child stars, and through that process, they realized that they had a magic while performing together that they could not ignore.

“Throughout that process, we did some very necessary healing,” he said to Corden, his brothers nodding along in apparent agreement. “Because when things ended, it wasn’t the best.”

But no need to worry: “Sucker” is just the beginning. The Jonas Brothers do not seem to have plans of going anywhere.