Last Year Was Complicated Album - Nick Jonas Review

Last Year Was Complicated , or as I will probably call it, Last Year, is an album released by Nick Jonas on June 10, 2016. It is produced by a formidable lineup of producers from Island and Safehouse. This album is considerably more average pop/R&B style then the previous EP's I've done. Also, because it is much longer (12 songs) than the average EP,  I probably won't put as much effort into doing a track by track review, rather, pointing out outliers and reviewing the album as a whole.

This album is, in my opinion, a smooth evolution from his last album, Jonas X2. His style seems more mature, and not just his frequent swearing and more... intimate subject matter. The majority of the album is about Jonas's recent breakup, and his tone and lyrics perfectly match the feelings that he wears on his sleeve. This album contains a fair share of both fun songs ("Bacon", "Champagne Problems"), somber songs ("Chainsaw", "Unhinged"), and even one song that I daresay is a masterpiece. I do believe that it may have benefitted more if the songs more closely fit the supposed theme of his breakup, but regardless Last Year manages to sound fresh and just... enjoyable.

The album, strangely, groups all of its fun songs at the start. "Voodoo" and "Champagne Problems" are both production-heavy electropop songs. They're quite similar in their style, but they both manage to help build up the album; they make a good start to the album. "Voodoo", in particular, has top-quality vocals that really suit the song.

"Close" ft Tove Lo... everyone's heard of this song. First off, let me say that Tove Lo is one of my favorite singers of all time, and her performance on this song is immaculate. I always love how on her features, she never just sings one verse and leaves; she ends up singing the whole song along with the main artist. Nick Jonas's emotional, obviously heartfelt vocals and the production of this song, wrapped up with Tove Lo's supporting, emotional vocals, make a masterful package about the vulnerability that comes with a burgeoning relationship.

Then there's "Chainsaw". This is another emotional song, and it's really the first song that REALLY gets into the main theme of breakup in this song. This song is very vocal focused, and Jonas delivers in that department. The lyrics are above average; the song clearly demonstrates the destructive emotions that can follow a hard breakup like his.

The next song, "Touch", is one of the most mediocre songs on the album. The entire concept of the song is okay: trying to love somebody mentally as well as physically. But Jonas's falsetto throughout the song as well as the weak lyrics, as well as the discontinuity between this song and the rest of the album, leads the question: What's the point of this song? It's basically just filler content. The same is true for the seventh song, "Good Girls" ft Big Sean. The layered vocals almost make this song good, but the entire concept of this song about "good girls going bad", doesn't fit with the album at all, and Big Sean's feature really adds nothing to the album, though that just might be because I hate his style of rapping.

Then there's the sixth song, "Bacon". It's about the relief that comes after a breakup, and this song really makes up for the below average songs that surround it. It's extremely catchy, the lyrics are great, and Jonas's vocals are top-notch for him. The production on this song is simply amazing, and it really fits the swinging mood that is associated with the concept of the song. I really think that this song could make it big on the radio. Again, Ty Dolla $ign adds very little to the song; I feel like Jonas should've possibly left the rappers off the album and just sang a bridge himself.

"The Difference" feels like it should be the first song on the album; it's kind of about how Jonas is better than all of someone's lovers before him. This song is okay at best, with it's weak lyrics and overall boring theme. The build-up to the chorus makes it seem as if it's leading up to a "Bacon" level drop, but what you get is not at all in line with what is advertised.

"Don't Make Me Choose" and "Under You" are very similar songs about the moments right after a relationship ends. "Don't Make Me Choose" has such an average, boring R&B feel to it, with extremely weak lyrics. I think it's possibly the worst song on Last Year. "Under You" REALLY reminds me of Jason Derulo, particularly "Cheyenne"; the concept is really similar. This song is a vast improvement from the previous track, with a top-notch bridge and an infectious chorus. It's very single-ready, and even with the bland lyricism, it certainly could be far worse.

"Unhinged" is so starkly different than every other song on the album. It's a slow, heartfelt song about the loss that Jonas truly felt about the breakup, after the high from "Bacon" and "Chainsaw" comes down. This song has such a sad undertone, with great lyrics like "When you close that door, you see/ it's unhinged, just like me." The somber production and the emotional vocals make listeners wonder "Why weren't there more songs like this?".

The last song, "Comfortable", is tricky. At first it seems out of place, but if you look deeper you find that the lyrics are actually about Jonas moving on from the relationship, not into a relationship like you might think at the start. The strange quote where the guy says "practice" about a thousand times doesn't really fit, but I get where he was going with it. It's a lot faster and more upbeat than the previous song, and again Jonas lends his impressive vocal skills to make this song a happy ending to the album.

Though extremely unfocused and with its fair share of mediocre songs, Last Year Was Complicated manages to be a reflection of Jonas's new maturity. He certainly has potential still, and has a lot of single-worthy songs on this album. Sadly, I can't rate the album based on only "Close" and "Bacon," so here's the verdict.

Final Verdict : 58/100