So, Does “Paranoid” Signal The End of the Jonas Brothers?

As I wrote earlier, teen pop trio Jonas Brothers are releasing a new album less than a year after their last, titled Lines, Vines, and Trying Times. The first single is called “Paranoid", and it was released last week to surprisingly little fanfare. While it did peak at #2 on the iTunes chart, it quickly, very quickly, fell down the chart. This past Thursday, it was revealed that the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #37, quite embarrassing considering the #5 entry of their single “Burnin’ Up” just 13 months ago.

So, is “Paranoid” so bad that even their loyal fans have abandoned the brotherly trio?

Actually, no.

While the vocal abilities of Nick and Joe Jonas cannot be helped (it sounds like Nick’s voice finally broke), “Paranoid” as a song is a considerable improvement over their past material. Last year, lyrics from the Jonas Brothers about taking pills, background checks, and mental illness seemed absolutely impossible to conceive. Yet, here they are, singing about the stages of paranoia, which presumably comes with being a pop star. “Paranoid” serves as their most adult offering yet, suggesting the group is finally evolving from annoying tween heartthrobs into serious adult pop stars. Of course, the irony is that just as they are tossing away the vestiges of their musical youth, they’ve wrapped themselves in an ill-advised adventure for the Disney Channel.

Maybe that is the problem, and why it appears that “Paranoid” has flopped with their fans. The boys are in a time warp, of sorts. They are stuck in the world of Disney, with Hannah Montana and their own ridiculous television show, while they are striving to succeed in the adult of pop music, with their influences Kings of Leon and the Zutons. Their choice not to cut one loose has left fans confused as to their direction, which is alienating them. Similarly, the adult world cannot take them seriously if they continue hanging on to the laughable world of Mickey Mouse.

“Paranoid” is not a sign of Jonas Armageddon. Instead, it is a warning that the Jonas Brothers have to choose which world they want to occupy before they are kicked out of both.

Rating: 6 out of 10