Shortly after their appearance, they hinted at a tour by tweeting out, "Happiness Begins" and having most of the arenas that would house them tweet that out as well. They released tour dates, then released some more tour dates because of the high demand from fans and have now released their album, "Happiness Begins."
As a JoBros Connoisseur from back in the day, I decided to listen to each song on the album and rate each one. I based my ratings on things like lyric quality, catchiness, and overall sound. If I felt like I could hit replay on the song and not get tired of it, I rated it a 5. My scale is from 1-5. Spoiler Alert: Non-of the songs received a 1. I wanted to know if these songs sounded different from the songs off of their previous albums when they were younger, or if they had changed drastically in sound and content. If you want the answer to this question, keep reading!
Disclaimer: These are all simply my opinions. I am not a music expert by any means, I just happen to love music and wanted to share my thoughts on this highly anticipated album. Everyone has their own opinions and feelings about music, which is what makes music so special!
1. Sucker: 4.5 Stars “We Go Together, Better Than Birds Of A Feather, You And Me.”
This was the first single the band released. They also released a music video that featured all their wives, which I loved. The Jonas Sisters are incomparable. The song is catchy, the lyrics are fun, and I feel like it is a tune I can play a lot without getting tired of it. The lyrics are definitely more mature than their old songs, but that was expected. They are mature but not explicit, which I really like. However, it did not receive 5 stars because I felt like other songs on the album were better and I wanted to keep the ratings fair.
2. Cool: 4.5 Stars “I’m Feeling So Cool, Top To The Bottom Just Cool.”
I feel happy and carefree when I listen to this song. The music video shows the band relaxing near the water and I think that is exactly the vibe the song gives. It is a fun song to sing along to. I gave this song 4.5 stars because again, I felt like there were others that deserved the 5-star title more, but this song is great and I would have chosen it as a single if it were my song as well. Also, the music video gave me major Burnin' Up vibes.
3. Only Human: 4 Stars “Dance In My Living Room, Slave To The Way You Move.”
I didn't like this song much at first, but after listening to it a couple of times, it grew on me. It is not bad. I don't think any of the songs on this album are even close to being bad, but it was just not my cup of tea, which is how I feel about the few songs I rated less than a 4 on this album. The sound is a little repetitive. The lyrics themselves are great. I feel like this is the type of song that you have to be in a certain mood to listen to. I have no idea what that mood might be. I cannot describe it. Although I enjoyed the song, I did not enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed the others. Note: the steel drums used throughout the song were a lovely touch and I enjoyed that part very much. Note 2: I figured out what kind of mood you have to be in. It's an "I want to dance around in the living room and be carefree and goofy mood."
4. I Believe: 5 Stars “When You Hold Me, It’s Like Heaven Coming Down.”
I loved this track. Nick's voice, in particular, is extremely captivating throughout. The lyrics are beautiful and make me feel hopeful for some reason. The "I believe, I believe, I believe" part sounds great. This is one of the songs that I have had on repeat since I first heard the full album. I have not grown tired of it yet and I don't think I will any time soon.
5. Used To Be: 4 Stars “Spending All Your Time With Your New Friends.”
While to me, this song was not 5 star worthy, it was still great. The lyrics tell the story of two people drifting apart and one of them leaving for new people. I think the story told could describe a romantic breakup or a friendship breakup. It's not a great feeling when you see your old friends stop caring, but it is a part of life. The song is catchy and is written very well.
6. Every Single Time: 2 Stars “Mr. Misdemeanor.”
I felt like this song was too repetitive. I think that when songs repeat a phrase too much, it becomes hard to want to replay it because you end up feeling like you've heard the same thing a million times. I liked the beat and the singing in the song. I also liked that the song told a story of a one-sided romance, but I don't feel like I can listen to it too many times.
7. Don’t Throw It Away: 4.5 Stars “Instead Of Walking Away, You Should Give It A Break.”
For some reason, this song made me think of "WE WERE ON A BREAK!" from Friends. The song is about someone wanting their partner or ex to give the relationship another chance after taking a break because what they have should not simply be tossed away like it didn't matter. The chorus is great. The melody flows perfectly throughout and the lyrics have a clear message.
8. Love Her: 5 Stars “Gotta Learn To Let The Small Things Go.”
This song is super cute, yet surprisingly not the cutest on the album! I loved it from the minute I listened to it. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. What I loved most about this song was that the lyrics were clearly written by someone who has been in love, which makes sense since all the members are now married. The tune is soft and comforting and you can definitely relate if you're in a relationship! The song reminded me of my boyfriend and it made me feel happy and calm.
9. Happy When I’m Sad: 4.5 Stars “They Think I’m Happy When I’m Sad.”
Relatable. That's it, that's the review.
Just kidding! I really enjoyed this song because of how much it resonated with me and a lot of people I know. Singing, "They think I'm happy when I'm sad" in a very upbeat way, makes it kind of ironic, but makes a lot of sense. I think many college students and people, in general, have to act like they're happy even when they're feeling down because they have responsibilities at work and school. Even on sad days, most people have to put a smile on their face and get through the day. The tones in the song are lively and just sound right if you relate to the song! I'm happy a lot of the time, but sometimes I feel blue and have to act like it's all okay, which is something Nick, Kevin, and Joe basically just Retweeted with this song.
10. Trust: 2.5 Stars “I Don’t Trust Myself When I’m Around You.”
This was the lowest rated song on my scale because it is very very very repetitive (like that word choice, Word is upset with me for using very so many times). Anyway. The song repeats the same thing over and over again. I think this is the only song on the album that I would deem a, as the Twitter kids call it, "a skip." I just can't seem to like it. It's not written badly in the parts where it is not repeating, and obviously, the singing is great, but it is not my favorite. Nick's voice is definitely accentuated which I love, but I don't like the song in its entirety. Parts of it are fantastic, but overall, I didn't enjoy it.
11. Strangers: 4.5 Stars: “I Just Saw The Lightning Strike, Knew It Right There When I Looked Into Your Eyes.”
This song makes me imagine Nick Jonas meeting Priyanka Chopra on an illuminated balcony by the Sea and then dancing the night away with her, all while connecting so instantly that he felt like they had met before. It is a very cute song. Lyrically brilliant and sung angelically. I loved it. The semi-high note when "Strangers" is sung is amazing.
12. Hesitate: 5 Stars: “I Thank The Oceans For Giving Me You.”
Hesitate: 5 Stars: "I thank the oceans for giving me you." I heard that Joe wrote this song about his wife Sophie Turner. I'm not sure if that's true, but it makes complete sense if it is. It is the cutest song on this album and it makes me really happy. The lyrics are written with love and care. This was the only new song of theirs (that was released) that made me cry. I loved the love it radiated. Joe's voice is soft and gentle throughout. This track gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling that "Love Her" gave me only 10x more, and it made me cry, so 5.
13. Rollercoaster: 5 Stars “It Was Fun When We Were Young And Now We’re Older, Those Days When We Were Broke In California.”
Can you say, masterpiece? I love this song so much. It is my favorite upbeat song on the album. I love how it tells the story of the band struggling while growing up but thinking back to those times and wanting to relive them because, at the end of the day, they had fun. This song makes me feel nostalgic and makes me reminisce on my own life and journies. Although they haven't been as dramatic as the journies of 3 brothers from New Jersey who took over the music world, they have been pretty good. This song is featured in the Amazon prime documentary the band released called, "Chasing Happiness."
14. Comeback: 4.5 Stars “Come Back To Me, Baby, I’ll Come Back To You, Light Up The World Like Only You Can Do.”
I love the sound of this song. I feel like Nick Jonas is literally singing directly to me and it calms me down. The lyrics are deep and tell the story of someone wanting the person they love the most to return to them. The song can also be referencing the band coming back together and radiating happiness again. This song is beautiful.
15. Jersey: 10 Stars, Broke My Scale “We Weren’t Born To Grow In Early, But It Rained Hard In The Garden State, And We Shot Up Like Weeds.”
Jersey is an unreleased song that plays during the credits of "Chasing Happiness." It is profound, sweet, sentimental, and bittersweet. The song quite literally tells the story of the Jonas Brothers getting out of the Garden State and taking over the music world, then falling down because they were unhappy. I love that they told this story and knowing what they went through makes their happiness now all the more special. The song does not look back on their lives negatively, but it is honest and raw and shows the sad truth behind some parts of their journey. The song makes me feel nostalgic about my own life as Rollercoaster does. I lived in Northern Jersey for a few years, so I understand their references as well. It is a beautiful song that has made me tear up and I wish it was released so I could listen to it on Spotify or purchase it on iTunes!
Happiness Begins is a lyric the band included in a lot of these songs, and they did so for good reason. Their happiness begins now and they needed that time apart to fall back together and truly be happy with what they are doing and with the music they are releasing for millions of people to hear.
The sound of this album is similar to the sound of the previous ones, but the lyrics are much more mature. It is clear that they have brought in styles from their solo music into the album, which is lovely. They have gone through many more life experiences and have written about them eloquently.
This album is rated 5 stars in my opinion and I'm so happy I am able to listen to new music by one of my favorite childhood bands. If you haven't heard the album yet, you're missing out on some quality tunes. Head over to iTunes, Spotify, or even YouTube to listen to all the tracks. They are brilliant and I am ecstatic that the Jonas Brothers are back and better than ever!
