Lessons about divorce, parenthood and love hide behind a generic pop beat in Joe Jonas’ second solo album, “Music For People Who Believe In Love.” Released on May 23, the album features a new sound for Jonas, which is more personal and emotional than any of his previous projects.
Known best for being a member of the Jonas Brothers and the lead singer of dance-rock band DNCE, Jonas hasn’t released solo music since his debut album “Fastlife” in 2011.
“Music For People Who Believe In Love” is a 44-minute journey bouncing between self-reflective pop-rock songs and country love ballads. Jonas released the album almost a year after its announcement and dropped the lead single “Work It Out” on July 19.
Right from the beginning, the album is not what most fans would expect from Jonas, considering his Disney and mainstream pop past. The first track, “Woven,” is a chaos-filled, unusual instrumental introduction featuring jazz duo DOMi and JD Beck. A familiar but fun alternative and pop sound follows, reminiscent of previous work by some of the album’s producers, like Dan Nigro, Alexander 23 and Tommy English.
Jonas’ lyrics detail narratives of bittersweet love and life lessons. Songs such as “Work it Out” and “My Own Best Friend” attempt to convey Jonas’ emotional growth and persistence through his own mental struggles. Yet, with lyrics like “Even baddies get saddies and that’s the hardest truth” in “Work it Out,” the tracks lack the candidacy and true vulnerability necessary for listeners to connect with Jonas’ experiences. This shortcoming, paired with the pop tone of the album, makes it difficult to take the messaging seriously.
The fourth track “Only Love” is the first to reference Jonas’ divorce from actress Sophie Turner. The two’s relationship ended publicly and with much speculation in 2023, and Jonas reflects on it throughout the album through bittersweet lyrics about being heartbroken and learning to love again. Country-reminiscent “Heart By Heart” seems to speak directly and apologetically to Turner, with the chorus repeating “Just remember I will always remember.”
Jonas makes no attempt to hide his messages to Turner, as the next track “Honey Blonde” cites their seven-year relationship and seems to reference Turner’s hair color.
The latter half of the album is a series of multilingual features, with artists such as Brazilian singer Luísa Sonza and French singer Louane bringing their unique styles. The hopeful and bright “Velvet Sunshine” features Franklin Jonas, the youngest Jonas brother and the only one to not be a part of the family band.
The features add a unique sound to each song, but take away from any expression of Jonas’ own voice. The frequent changes between language and genre inspirations makes it difficult to fully understand Jonas’ artistic intentions.
The deluxe version of the album was released four days after the album’s initial release with one additional track and the live performance recordings of the album’s pre-released singles. The added track, “Water Under The Bridge,” is an upbeat conclusion, with Jonas coming to terms with the end of his relationship and deciding to let it go.
Jonas gives a genuine attempt to bare his soul, but the authenticity gets trapped behind generic pop-rock beats and an ever-changing vocal sound. Though it may not have fully conveyed the vulnerability Jonas intended, “Music For People Who Believe In Love” is a journey of Jonas finding himself as an artist, separate from a highly-publicized relationship and band.
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