Nick Jonas, Spaceman | Album Review 💿

Pop standout Nick Jonas delivers a tight, enjoyable, and well-rounded album with Spaceman, his first new solo album since 2016.

It has been five years since a new 🎙 Nick Jonas solo album arrived.  Well, the wait is over as the Jo Bro returns mid-March 2021 with 💿 Spaceman, the long-awaited follow-up to 💿 Last Year was Complicated (2016).  Unlike his previous two albums, some things have changed for Nick.  For one, he’s a married man.  That’s big. Secondly, he loses the parental advisory label and eschews f-bombs. Whoa – old boy is cleaning up his act! Keeping things tight at just 11 tracks running 35 minutes, the results are quite positive.

“Don’t Give Up on Us”

Nick Jonas commences Spaceman enjoyably with ✅ 🎵 “Don’t Give Up on Us.”  The boxes are checked off.  This includes first and foremost a respectable vocal by Jonas, including some ripe falsetto.  Furthermore, the songwriting is. selling point, specifically a sweet chorus that gets easily stuck in one’s head.  Top it off with sleek production work (🎛 Greg Kurstin) and Spaceman off to a fast start.  There’s little (if any) drop off on 🎵 “Heights”, which segues directly from the opener.  These segues continue throughout the album, strategically using the instrumental to provide unity.  Like “Don’t Give Up on Us,” Jonas continues to focus on matters of the heart, singing with ease yet also quite expressively.  On another winning chorus, he sings, “And baby, you know it’s a long way down / Then you know that I, I ain’t afraid of heights, heights.”

✅ 🎵 “Spaceman”, the title track and promo single, like everything else as of yet, has ample pros. Start with an elite team of writers: Kurstin, 🎼✍ Maureen “Mozella” McDonald, and Jonas. The backdrop constructed by Kurstin fits the urban-pop sensibilities that Nick Jonas has consistently exhibited as an adult pop musician.  This is particularly pronounced on the chorus, where the influence of hip-hop can be heard with the banging, souped-up beat. Beyond the backdrop, Jonas sounds great.  He gives us plenty of middle register during the verses, while flexing more of his upper register (namely falsetto) on the chorus. As far as the songwriting, he sings and reflects about the state of the world with politics, coronavirus, and most of all, feeling isolated – as if he’s in outer space. It’s a relatable theme and ultimately, a highly effective record.

“2Drunk”

“Too drunk and I’m all in my feelings / Oh, well, now I’m high as the ceiling.” On ✅ 🎵 “2Drunk,” Nick is affected by two things.  First and foremost, a defunct relationship: “Should I send that text? Maybe not / But I miss that sex, quite a lot.”  Secondly, inebriation – duh! Essentially, Jonas is a hot mess, drowning his sorrows in the bottle.  Quite relatable, though! With the funky, groovy 🎵 “Delicious,” sex remains at the forefront.  The deliciousness that Nick speaks of, in other words, has nothing to do with food. It’s all dessert, thanks to lit sex. After all, he claims, “I’m licking the dishes (Woo, woo) / ‘Cause, baby, you’re so delicious.” Damn! 

“At the gate / I’m coming inside, I know that it’s late / But I’m here, ‘cause your body my motivation.” Most would agree that sex is heavenly.  The same could be said about love, at least when it’s ‘on.’ Nick Jonas certainly believes in the power of both on ✅ 🎵 “This is Heaven”, the second single from Spaceman. “This is Heaven” marks another gem penned by Jonas, Kurstin, and Mozella. The backdrop is on-point: the keys, synths, and an absolutely infectious groove. Jonas, again, serves up a respectable vocal performance, with his best moments arriving during the centerpiece, the chorus.

“This is Heaven
And I don't know how this could get much better (Yeah)
Than you and me, here right now
This is Heaven
And every time I touch you, it gets better
I'm on my knees, I can't stop now
This is Heaven.”

On the verses, Nick sings in his lower and middle register.  He ascends higher on the chorus where he proclaims love to be ‘celestial.’ of course. Overall, “This is Heaven” is indeed pretty heavenly.

“Sexual”

“Head back / Marvin Gaye on the track / Let’s keep it going / Till 5:00 in the morning.” Amazingly, Nick Jonas avoids being explicit on Spaceman.  That said, he doesn’t avoid thinking with his pants, as you’d expect to be the case on 🎵 “Sexual.”  Clearly, what she’s putting out is lit, as he is freaky throughout, whether it’s “All the mirrors in the room,” the “soaked bed,” or being “tongue tied” and following “Your neck down to your thighs…” Sexual indeed (and satisfying). The bops keep coming with 🎵 “Deeper Love,” another R&B-infused pop joint that incorporates sex but also embraces the connection – the relationship aspect if you will.  It’s not particular ‘deep’ despite the depth that Jonas seeks, but it’s certainly another pleasant moment from Spaceman.

Connection definitely runs deeper on ✅ 🎵 “If I Fall” where the dedication is through the roof.  Committed to his wife, Nick Jonas has no plans of falling for anyone else but her.  Once again, Jonas has a fantastic canvas to pain over (led by that groove), sings quite well, and delivers one of the best, most addictive choruses of Spaceman. Similarly, the short but sweet penultimate 🎵 “Death Do Us Part” is also all about an unbreakable bond.  Add a backdrop unlike Jonas has ever had supporting him until now and this short LP continues to be incredibly sweet.  He caps things off with 🎵 “Nervous”, where the comfort level in the relationship (presumably he and his wife) is so incredible that there’s anxiety when they’re not together.  It’s definitely a marvelous sentiment and something those of us unattached envy. 

Final Thoughts 💭

Nick Jonas might keep things short on Spaceman but all in all this is a well-rounded, totally enjoyable pop album.  Greg Kurstin is the man, putting in some serious work on the production end.  Furthermore, this more mature, cleaner, and married version of Nick plays out quite positively. It shows you don’t need f-bombs to have fun or show intense or passionate emotions.  There’s not a bad song to be found, so, kudos Nick!

✅ Gems 💎: “Don’t Give Up on Us,” “Spaceman,” “2Drunk,” “This is Heaven” & “If I Fall” 

🎙 Nick Jonas • 💿 Spaceman • 🏷 Island • 🗓 3.14.21

[📷: Island]