A Jonas Brother has strayed from the herd.
Joe Jonas, the middle Jonas, has released his debut record, “Fastlife,” and it’s not that bad. Promise.
This album is perfect for the average tween going into high school who grew up listening to the Jonas Brothers. Jonas’ sound and lyrical content has grown up and matured along with him, ushering the current age of pop music into a new stage.
It’s also perfect for the average college student who likes to pretend they’re an average high school student.
The first single off the album, “See No More,” is the guiltiest of pleasures, embedding itself into the part of the brain that doesn’t let you forget songs you don’t want to admit to loving.
Jonas’ second single, “Just in Love,” is just as catchy as his first, despite a not-so-spectacular chorus. The song gets many of its brownie points by featuring rapper Lil Wayne. By adding a fresh voice into the mix, the song is given the kick it needs to be put on repeat. There’s just something so exciting about seeing the “explicit” marker next to a Jonas brother’s song.
Songs like “Love Slayer” and “Not Right Now” are Jonas’ contribution to today’s pop genre, but he doesn’t do anything to differentiate himself from his competition. This is just one generic song that could have been sung by anybody and still have given the same effect.
“Make You Mine” is another example of a typical pop song, but this time it’s one that will leave the listener with the essence of Jonas. This is Jonas’ mark on the genre, creating a song that could easily be a No. 1 hit if it’s ever released. Jonas channeling his inner grunge at the end caps the song off nicely.
The album as a whole is worth a try, whether the listener stone-cold hates the tween pop singers or not. There are some legitimately good songs that are so catchy, they will be stuck in the listeners heads for days. Justin Bieber could never do that.
Grade: B-
