It’s Time to Move on from the Jo Bros
graphic by Lucinda Strol
With their newest release of ‘Sucker,’ it’s evident the Jonas Brothers are back…but maybe they shouldn’t be. We will give credit where credit is long due; they were thecutest boyband of our time and made some catchy songs back in 2006 (cough “Year 3000” cough), but why are they back after nearly ten years of separation? Perhaps agroup of four loveable British boys (and one Irish) told us all that we don’t know we’re beautiful, which immediately replaced the Jonas Brothers spot in our young hearts withOne Direction.
The Jonas Brothers lasted eight monumental years—from 2005 to 2013—which is a completely average length for boybands. One Direction lasted six years, NSYNC lasted seven years and Big Time Rush were around for only five years. Almost all three brothers have since been married and one even had children, making them all confirmed adults. So, why did these adults suddenly decide to get the band back together? Maybe 1D’s three-year “hiatus” (come on now, we all know they’re not coming back) means the coast is clear. It’s a second chance for the ‘Bros,’ if you will.
Back to their latest single, ‘Sucker’. Is anyone out there actually able to tell the difference between the beat in this pop song and all the other pop songs playing today? They legitimately all sound the exact same and there have even been research studies designed around why that is the case. According to Tom Barnes, researchers at the University of Vienna in Austria discovered that as music genres increase in popularity, they become more generic. We crave comfortable, familiar situations as humans. It’s innate. Consequently, complexity of other genres turns us off, and record companies use this known fact to produce songs they know will sell. It’s not only the Jonas Brother’s fault that their music sounds the exact same as all their popstar acquaintances. It’s the fault of those who listen and the companies that distribute these songs. All three groups encourage the constant behavior of releasing reproduced beats on top of a whiney vocal track.
All of a sudden the bros came out of hiding and the fantasizing began. Twitter has been exploding with tweets regarding the breaking news, and the Jonas Brothers have been a top trending moment ever since the single came out. Some of these tweets are seen here:
Obviously the reunion means a lot to those true fans who have been here since the early 2000s. However, the obsession with the Jonas Brothers shouldn’t be as pertinent and dramatized as it has been lately. We’ve all grown into adults and need to leave our childhood idols in the past where they belong. It would be different if the Jonas Brothers had an entirely new unique sound that was different than what’s already being released in today’s pop age, but sadly that is not the case. Their music sounds the same as everyone else’s and people need acknowledge and accept that. So, let us rip our free Tiger Beat posters off our walls and realize the much more pressing and crucial news happening today that deserves our undivided attention.