Millions of fans worldwide were disappointed when the Jonas Brothers broke up as a band in 2013 after a rocky hiatus. The band’s biggest appeal — the fact that they were brothers, by blood — was also their biggest vulnerability. Every family has its problems, and this friction was magnified by the pressure that came with being a pop rock band since their teenage years. But time heals all wounds, so to the surprise of many, a family reconciliation led to the group reuniting. In 2019, they recorded and released their fifth album, Happiness Begins, including the single “Sucker”, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was a departure from their pre-split music: whereas their prior reputation was inextricably linked with their Disney origins as a “boy” band, the years had allowed them to shed this image and produce more mature music. Before 2013, their biggest hits included the puppy love song “Lovebug” and “Burnin’ Up”, a rock tune about a passionate yet PG attraction. With Happiness Begins, however, came songs such as “Hesitate”, which is about sharing pain and sorrow with one’s partner, and “Rollercoaster”, which explores the themes of youth and growth. This has led many to describe the album as “the Jonas Brothers, but they’re married now”.

Since the release of Happiness Begins, the next question in everybody’s minds was: when is the next album coming out? On May 12, four years after their reunion, they finally released their new album, plainly titled The Album. As their previous album was recorded after the three brothers — Kevin, Joe, and Nick — all got married, The Album also comes on the heels of another change in their lives: becoming fathers.

Before The Album was released, the band put out two singles from it: “Wings” in February, and “Waffle House” in April. “Wings” is a short, two-minute song that isn’t particularly impressive musically and lyrically; it’s a more orthodox Jonas Brothers song, made to ease the audience into the idea of a new album coming out. Meanwhile, “Waffle House” is more of a party tune, with the music video featuring the brothers dancing choreographed moves with a posse across London.

However, much like Happiness Begins — which had two singles, “Sucker” and “Cool”, released beforehand — the best songs can be found in the rest of the album. Its two singles don’t accurately represent the album as a whole, serving more as an appetizer before the main courses. Overall, the best way to describe The Album is as a feel-good, play-safe collection that aims to entertain rather than push the envelope. One personal highlight is “Vacation Eyes”, a groovy song about how spending time with your partner feels like a relaxing vacation (contrast this to early Jonas Brothers music about how love is like slipping into lava). “Little Bird” also stands out as an emotional ballad dedicated to the brothers’ children — the next generation of Jonases. This partially fulfilled expectations that the album would be “the Jonas Brothers, but they’re fathers now”.

Most of the songs in The Album, however, convey the millennial “have fun and be free” attitude embodied by the Jonas Brothers’ generation. This shift towards a more conventional approach to music may not be the most appealing. Before their breakup, the band’s music was characterized by their Disney association and the vibe of three teenage boys with raging passion (and hormones). After reuniting, Happiness Begins got rid of that impression with an equally emotionally charged album about growing up in the real world and becoming adults with mature relationships. In contrast, The Album mostly contains songs that are just as uncreative as its title — enjoyable, certainly, but not necessarily memorable. It’s almost hard to believe it took four years for the band to finish and release the album.

Regardless, The Album represents the Jonas Brothers’ efforts to constantly reinvent themselves and grow with their fans who have followed them since the late 2000s. They are, after all, no longer a full-time band: Nick, for one, has found success as a solo artist, while Joe formed DNCE, best known for “Cake by the Ocean”. As the Jonas Brothers, the three may no longer release music as frequently as they did in their earlier years due to their individual careers and families. But, as The Album shows, every release will be different from the previous one — even if it doesn’t set them apart from other bands.