Nick Jonas was also back in the limelight giving a live performance that was not so much like a typical appearance of a concert but like a personal diary with music. The singer-songwriter performed some of his most recent songs at Los Angeles over the weekend, combining refined performance with instances of mind-blowing emotional sincerity. One of the compositions that received the most response was the personal song that was inspired by his daughter, Malti Marie, and the song named Princesses, which was based on the development of his identity as a father.
Jonas walked onto the stage wearing a bespoke brown suit and with a nonchalant confidence that has been familiar to the long time fans. The setlist flowed between the usual hits and some more recent ones, including the hits such as Chains, Hope, Sweet To Me, and the long-awaited Princesses. Although the audience was energetic about the energetic songs, it was also during the performance of Princesses when the mood in the place had officially changed. The performance had a lower intensity which was not screaming but one that required the listener to lean in instead of screaming and many did exactly that.
Elevated expressive delivery and subtle choreography by the singer were easily spread online through videos of the show. Non-social media responses emphasized not only his control over the voice or his presence on the stage, but the genuineness of his performance. Fans referred to the moment as emotional and humbling in the sense that Jonas was able to give vulnerability the stage without any form of drama. This simplicity was a contrast to the stage of pop projects that mostly depend on spectacle.
It is no coincidence that the emotional load of “Princesses is that heavy. Nick Jonas gave an interview to People and told a lot about the origin of the song and about personal events that influenced its creation. In retrospect of the writing process, he provided an insight into a studio session that had a surprise twist. My daughter is fond of Princesses, and likes to play Princess. That was a mere ordinary observation that provided the emotional kick to a song that was going to ring long after getting out of the recording studio.
Jonas said that he wrote the song with his collaborators, JP Saxe and Jeff Gitelman, Gitty, on an entirely different concept. I came in the day we wrote that song, me, JP Saxe and Gitty writing another song. And then just kind of I went to the bathroom, and then came back and was like, we could just, can we just have a shot and just swing? What ensued was an inventive shift with less of a plan and more of a whim, to follow an inspiration of the moment based on family life.
He also confessed that initially, the idea seemed daunting to him, as he was not sure that it would find an audience among his co-workers or a listener who would be familiar with his pop-rock instincts. It was a kind of something they could relate to, I did not know, and I said, I have this name, Princesses, and then they both stood straight and were like, yes, do that. The high frequency of that spontaneous response confirmed the clarity of the emotion behind the concept, transforming a throwaway notion into the core of a soulful song.
Fundamentally, Princesses is a song which has been penned in the perspective of the parent, which Jonas has seldom explored in his music explicitly in the past. He explained that the lyrics represent his view as well as the worldview of his daughter. It is merely the verses talking of how I perceive her, how she perceives the world. And the chorus is that wish to merely play the princesses and remain in that place with her permanently in case I could. The song embodies a perennial sense of parenthood: the desire to stop the time in the moments of innocence and happiness.
Listening to such sentiments translated into a live performance gave it an extra meaning. Jonas did not over-adorn the song on stage. Instead he gave the moment to the lyrics and allowed pauses and less powerful notes to linger. To most parents in the audience, including those who have not had children, the performance resonated by expressing emotions that are so difficult to express so explicitly.
This live performance is also a greater change in the artistic direction of Nick Jonas. Being raised in the public, his previous work tended to focus on the themes of ambition, relations, and personal development in question. In Princesses, he enters a different phase, one that has been influenced by care, sensitivity and a more subdued kind of love. This is not a re-invention but a continuation of his story where maturity in music does not necessarily mean that one has to give up his vulnerability.
The Los Angeles concert helped to enforce the idea that this stage of Jonas career is not all about fads, but rather about sincerity. He decided to incorporate the word Princesses into his established hits and this indicated that he was certain about the song position in his collection of hits. It was also an indication of confidence that he had on his audience and he was confident that they would join him now where he is and not where he was before.
At least the gamble in this regard seems to be paying off in reaction that has so far been witnessed. The sincerity of the song and the boldness to anticipate family life in the mainstream pop music has been well-received by fans. Simultaneously, certain listeners have also observed that these extremely personal songs can be divisive, touching the hearts of some and being too intimate to the heart of others. That tension is, however, some of the strength of the song. It is not meant to appeal to all; it is meant to narrate the truth about a moment in the life of Jonas.
Since Princesses still spreads via live clips and streaming services, it brings up some interesting questions regarding the way in which pop artists develop along with their personal lives. Is it possible to be vulnerable and have a mass appeal? Does it make a difference in sharing fatherhood in music as it changes the perception of people or it only enhances it? Nick Jonas avoids giving direct answers but his performance gives the impression of a silent belief in the fact that even when subdued and intimate, authenticity finds space on the largest of stages.
