A good time for a comeback

Sometimes, even when you’re part of a successful group, there comes a point when you want to go off and do your own thing.

So when the Jonas Brothers decided to go their separate ways for a while, to them, it was tactical. During their recent Manila visit, Nick, Joe and Kevin explained that they wanted to give each other space to pursue their individual projects so that when they got back to the group, it would be with a new drive and passion.

In the three years they were apart, each one got the chance to do different things: Joe, 23, released a solo record and became a judge-mentor in The Next. Kevin, 24, got married, after which he and his wife starred in their own reality show, Married to Jonas. Nick, 20, formed his own band and made his theater debut in the long-running stage musical Les Miserables (where he worked with Tony awardee Lea Salonga whom he describes as “so amazing and talented”). In addition, Nick wrote and produced songs for other artists and signed up to be an endorser for local clothing brand Bench.

Now that the brothers are back together, all of them agree that coming back to the group feels like new. “It was amazing. We got to follow our individual passions and dreams, and the things we learned helped in the creative process and the making of our new album,” explained Nick. “It set us up properly for the next phase (of our career).”

The newly-married Kevin says the break even helped improve their relationships with each other. Taking a step back from being together 24/7 allowed them to see things they never had the chance to take a good look at before. “This puts it all on the table instead of sweeping it under the rug.”

The brothers were in town for two nights of concerts, one in Manila and one at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. Upon arriving after a 14-hour flight from the US, they were surprised to discover how big a following they had in the country (one group of their fans call themselves “JBNoys”) — well, except for Joe, who had been here previously because of his Bench endorsement. In fact, while driving down EDSA from the airport, Kevin and Nick saw Joe’s billboard, and said, “I know that guy!” They also saw Rizal Park (“There were lots of kids and cats running around”) and saw the big sign with the words “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” a statement with which they now agree.

The decision to reunite after the three-year break comes at an opportune time, because boy bands seem to be back in vogue, as proven by the current popularity of the British boy group One Direction. The Backstreet Boys and the New Kids on the Block also visited Manila for sold-out concerts at the Mall of Asia Arena a few months ago. The brothers admit to being influenced by the music of boy bands, among other things, and that music comes and goes in cycles. “It’s an evolution,” say the brothers. In fact, one of their first shows when they were starting out saw them as opening act for the Backstreet Boys. 

Nick, Joe and Kevin spent every day together for the past six years, so it was nice, they say, to be able to take a break. After two or three years apart, “we were ready to jump back in.”

So now, they are back pursuing all sorts of things. But while there are many options — like stage, TV and the movies — the most important is still their music. “Everything comes back to music because it’s how we started,” acknowledges Joe.

Of course, not everyone is happy about their resurgence. On social media, they have as many haters and bashers as they do have adoring supporters. But the Jonas Brothers acknowledge that social media is a big part of their new landscape. It may not have been that much of a force when they first came on the scene in 2005, but things have changed since then. “Social media is a big part of what we do, and it continues to be important,” says Nick. “It was our way of getting things started for us, and it continues to be important.”

As for haters and bashers, they have found their own way of dealing with them. In a way, they consider criticism a compliment. Says Joe: “If you stir up that much passion in people, it means you’re doing something good.” The trick, he says, is to choose what to pay real attention to. “If you focus on the good things, you’ll be happier.”