Some would say the Jonas Brothers defined a generation of adolescents and led them to fall in love with boy bands — and some would disagree. But one thing that all listeners can agree on is that there has been a Joe-, Nick- and (sigh) Kevin-shaped hole missing in pop music since the band broke up in 2013. Now that they’re officially back and better than ever, the band’s first single since reuniting to release new music is called “Sucker.” With the single’s rapid release and elaborate promotion, audiences are sure to be a sucker for the band, the song and the music video. The “Jo Bros” are all booed up and back with a whole new vibe. While “Sucker” is a boy-band song through and through, the single fits perfectly in the current moment in pop culture and is a much needed and unabashed pop-genre bop.
The music video, featuring the boys’ significant others, has been trending since it was released by Republic Records, fulfilling everyone’s collective need to relive their late-2000s teen dream of marrying one of its members. Unfortunately for fans, Joe is engaged to Sophie Turner from “Game of Thrones,” Nick is married to actress Priyanka Chopra and Kevin is married to Danielle Jonas. The video is shot in a luscious palace and garden, and showcases the boys singing to their partners about how head over heels in love they are in their respective relationships.
The new song, like nearly all modern pop songs, happens to be a love song. Still, “Sucker” is more mature than the band’s past work, when the Jonas Brothers were single and singing “Year 3000” with standard prepubescent vocal tones and swooping haircuts. The bangs are now gone, and the Jonas Brothers are earning their hottie status while singing to their boo thangs.
In the video, Joe sings about “stumbling out of bars,” with a very clear sensual undertone and intense eye contact with Turner. Chopra is an absolute queen as she struts around with an “I don’t need a man but have one” attitude, while Danielle walks nine Corgis dressed in glittery gloves. The women also share a heartwarming moment when they are shown watching old Jonas Brothers music videos and fangirling over the boys by screaming at the screens. The music video’s main goal is to show audiences just how attractive and with the times the Jonas Brothers still are, and delivers an extravagant look into how much the three members have grown in the last several years.
The single’s cover is also the perfect supplement to reinvent the band’s new image and sound. Not only does it put our favorite guys in spicy outfits, but now Nick is in the center as well as the main vocal throughout the song — a sharp turn from the group’s previous branding, which frequently featured Joe as the frontman. While we’ll have to wait for a full album to find out, it seems as if Nick has become the alpha of the group, dethroning the formerly reigning Joe. But after all this time, we’re still left asking — what about Kevin?
“Sucker” is the quintessential pop song of the current moment. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted and like the best Jonas Brothers songs, it’s crazy easy to dance to. The song feels like a nostalgic throwback with a new mood. The Jonas Brothers, pop music gods among men, know how to churn out hit after hit, and “Sucker” is only the beginning of the band’s new sound. With the new single, audiences are re-entering the era of the Jonas Brothers, and we’re all a sucker for it.
