New Music Friday: 'Last Year Was Complicated'

Image via Genius

It's been about two years since we've had an album from Nick Jonas, and I'd say that the wait was worth it. His self-titled Nick Jonas was a great album and his breakout of the genre of teenage boyband type music and into the grown up sensual side of himself. There were a few standout songs on that album like Numb which featured rapper Angel Haze, Take Over, I Want You and Chains. The others were the same crooning that we could expect from someone who enjoys creating R&B type songs like Jonas. This album is reminiscent of Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience: Part 1, in that it almost seemed like a love letter to his then girlfriend Olivia Culpo as the 20/20 Experience was written for Jessica Biel.

Getting into Last Year Was Complicated, we can see that he's talking about just that. Olivia and Nick had broken up and although Jonas took some time to compose the album, I'm sure that experience played a part in the content of the songs. The title track Voodoo was a good start to the album. The sound was different and it drew you in and let you know that this album was going to be different from the last. It also happens to be one of my favorites. The single Close featuring Tove Lo was one of the lead singles off  the album, the song was popular and got a lot of radio play, but id I had to base my decision of liking the album on that song alone I wouldn't have listened. I actually don't like it that much. The next single Bacon actually made me want to hear it and think that it had potential instead of being the usual sequel flop.

The second half of the album features more of the slow emotional songs like Under You, in which actress Shay Mitchell of Pretty Little Liars  plays the love interest. This is similar to how Jonas's first album was set up as well. Overall, I'd give the album 4/5. Nick Jonas delivers with this album just like he did with the last one. So if you're a fan of his or a new listener, you won't be disappointed.

Take a listen and let me know what you think!