Massachusetts Daily Collegian

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A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

The Jonas Brothers single ‘Like It’s Christmas’ will add some flair to your holiday playlist

The band of brothers’ emotional and musical growth is apparent
Courtesy of Jonas Brothers Official Facebook Page
Courtesy of Jonas Brothers Official Facebook Page

Christmas movies are playing on repeat on popular channels, and there is no avoiding the jolly carols of strolling through winter wonderlands that seem to bombard radio stations starting before the Thanksgiving turkey has been fully digested. And while those carols are classics for a reason, it is always a delightful, but seldom a surprise when your favorite artists release original songs that have the power to get you in the holiday spirit from the first chord.

On Nov. 8, the Jonas Brothers released their first holiday single, titled “Like It’s Christmas,” in over 11 years. The group’s last Christmas single was a cover of “Joyful Kings” in 2008, which was featured on the Disney Channel’s holiday album “All Wrapped Up.” The evolution between the songs is apparent, both within the group’s dynamic and the maturity of the music’s sound and lyrics.

After a six-year long hiatus, the Jonas Brothers surprised the world by reuniting earlier this year with the debut of the single, “Sucker.” As to be expected by the group’s grown up but still loyal fanbase, the song quickly rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also portrayed the band of brothers in a much more jovial and unified light. And this summer, the Jonas Brothers released their album “Happiness Begins.”

Amid the flurry of interviews that took place as a result of their reunification, the brothers candidly expressed that when they decided to end the band back in 2013, they were not on the best of terms from the array of pressures that comes with being in the spotlight. They each went on to pursue their own projects: Nick and Joe with their respective music careers, and Kevin with his entrepreneurial startups and commitment to family life. The group then explained that engaging in a lot of reflection and spending quality time together as brothers, not as pop superstars, was integral in helping them realize that they truly missed performing together. Due to their mature take on their relationship, they made the decision to reunite.

At the start of the reunion, fans speculated that it could be temporary, similar to the band’s brief reunion in 2013. The brothers were open about the prospect, stating that they still planned to pursue their individual projects, but they wanted to come together as a family. Shortly after they put out their album this summer, Nick hinted that more music was coming soon. A week prior to the debut of “Like It’s Christmas,” the Jonas Brothers’ Twitter page started hinting at the single’s theme by posting myriad holiday-themed emojis.

Since the band’s rise to fame, a lot has changed. All three brothers are married; Joe and Nick each tied the knot within the past year. Their emotional growth as individuals is reflected in the holiday single’s lyrics: “Don’t wanna put an end to all this cheer / But as long as you’re with me / It’s always that time of year.” The song has an upbeat tempo and is chock-full of hand claps and electric guitar flourishes that add a sultry flair to the once squeaky clean band’s image, as the married members of the boy band tell the love story of how their spouses make every day feel “Like It’s Christmas.”

The lyric video accompanying the song premiered on Dec. 6, a little less than one month after the single’s release. The video features Kevin, Joe, and Nick wearing Santa hats, in the tradition of the holiday season, harmonizing “Nothing fake about the way you bring me to life,” as their faces pop up into sceneries resembling that of a New England winter wonderland. The attention to Christmas aesthetic is impeccable in the editing of the video, and I failed to notice this upon first viewing it as I was distracted by the visuals, which show the group members trapped in snow globes and Christmas ornaments. However, as they are singing, the Jonas Brothers’ jaws become noticeably unhinged, resembling the mechanics of a Nutcracker doll.

The band is currently on the second leg of their tour and have included the holiday song into their setlist. Additionally, they also performed the single in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Joanna Buoniconti can be reached at [email protected].

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