Former Disney star Nick Jonas has released his fourth solo album. After the success of the Jonas Brothers’ album Happiness Begins in 2019, the youngest member of the trio ventured out on his own again with Spaceman. Unfortunately, Jonas delivers a pop album that does not quite reach the heights of his previous solo albums.
The past year, marked by the pandemic and multiple lockdowns, has been challenging for artists. With canceled tours, many of them spent a lot of time at home. Musicians, including Nick Jonas, took advantage of quarantine to write and produce entire albums. This seems to have been Jonas’s thought process when he suddenly found himself at home without his brothers on tour. Spending his days with only his wife for company. The result is evident on Spaceman.
With his previous solo hits like Jealous and Close (a collaboration with the Swedish artist Tove Lo), Nick Jonas has already proven himself as a songwriter who likes to depict events from his own life. The same approach is present on Spaceman. One problem, though—due to the pandemic, not much exciting is happening in his life. Unfortunately, this makes the album as a whole less thrilling. Sounding like a typical pop album that you heard before.
Starting with a few songs about COVID-19, lockdown, and the growing number of people with an alcohol addiction. The second half of the album is predominantly a love letter to his wife. It is often said that the best albums are break-up albums, like Adele’s 21 or Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. This is precisely what is missing on Jonas’s Spaceman. Because, despite the lockdown, he has had a very happy year. There is a lack of depth in his music and lyrics that was present in his earlier songs.
Different subjects and musical tone
Although the overall sentiment on this album is quite familiar, Jonas has managed to bring forth a new, futuristic sound. Especially opening track Don’t Give Up On Us and title track Spaceman introduce futuristic sounds that blend well with typical pop tunes. The use of seamlessly flowing music gives the impression of listening to a long song rather than several different tracks.
When the fifth track Delicious kicks in with a saxophone, the tone of the album changes. Following this, the songs written for and about his wife and their relationship appear. Jonas, having shed his Disney star image a while ago, reaffirms this on this album. With titles like Sexual and Deeper Love, sexy songs are expected. References to Marvin Gaye and Foreigner’s I Wanna Know What Love Is are also not surprising. However, strangely enough, these songs remain relatively modest.
The musical highlight of the album comes with the penultimate track, Death Do Us Part. With an almost R&B-like sound, Jonas manages to sound sexy. The song stands out positively with its abrupt ending and the unusual lyrics singing about caviar with Pringles.
With his high-pitched singing, lockdown-themed lyrics, and love songs, Nick Jonas has delivered a fairly solid pop album with Spaceman. The album will likely be well-received by his fans. But it is also an easy listen for the casual listener due to its familiar pop sounds.
