EXCLUSIVE: Nick Jonas talks business and applauds Priyanka Chopra's RSIFF 2024 recognition

Nick Jonas, currently at the ongoing Red Sea International Film Festival 2024, agrees to the fact that understanding the business of showbiz is extremely crucial in not just building a career but also maximising the potential of an artiste. 

In an exclusive interaction with Divya Pal in Jeddah, Nick Jonas spoke about the business acuity he wished he had when he started his career.
 
“I think when we first started, we were thrust into things without really having any playbook to pull from or, you know, even formal training to know what to expect. Our father was one of our co-managers, and, at the early stages of our career, a guy named Phil McIntyre, who to this day is still our manager and my manager. We all just learnt together, and I think sometimes it's better to be thrown into things and, to find your wings and/or your parachute and figure it out.”
 
Nick also admitted to being a massive fan of Indian films, which are huge the world over.

“I have learnt quite a bit about the Indian films over the last couple years as well, that I didn't know when I initially, started dating, my now wife. And I'm a massive fan. I know it's huge, you know, all over the world, but obviously in this part of the world as well. And just seeing that globalisation of cinema, not just with Indian films, but global films all over the world is so exciting to me. That was one of the reasons I was so honoured to be asked to come here and speak. I'm just a massive fan of entertainment. And, as my sort of world view has broadened so much by way of consuming so much content from different parts of the world because of what I've been introduced to through my relationship and marriage, it has been one of the most inspiring things for me. So honoured to be here and to get to kind of take it all in.”

Jonas was the primary songwriter for the Jonas Brothers, contributing as either the sole writer or co-writer on the majority of their releases.

On being asked how the songwriting process has evolved over the years, he said, “I started writing songs when I was about 8 years old with my dad. I would drive into New York City because I was doing Broadway shows when we lived in New Jersey, and we'd have about a 45-minute drive. And so that time would be spent either listening to music and learning about the great songwriters, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Carol King, Bee Gees, and Beatles, and then also trying to write myself, and, you know, that love affair sort of took me on a crazy journey with the music that I've been fortunate enough to write and share with the world.”
 
As Nick says, his songwriting now draws mainly from his real life experiences, which also include fatherhood, particularly inspired by his bond with his daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.   

“As I look up now as a 32-year-old and think about the many years I've spent writing songs, I think I have a deeper perspective because of where I'm at personally. You know, so much of what I write about comes from my real life experiences and, you know, obviously, relationships and love, not just in the romantic sense, but also, you know, with our beautiful daughter now and what that feels like to write from the perspective of a father. So I've spent some time this year not only working with stuff for me and the brothers and me personally, but also for some other artists, trying to kind of see things through that different lens. It's actually very similar to me, too, when I act and when I'm doing work in that space, you know, looking at it through a different lens and coming at it from a perspective that is not just my own, but, you know, potentially somebody else's. So it's evolved in a big way, and I'm feeling really excited about some of the music I have coming out next year.”
 
Nick also sounded upbeat about how his experiences as a father and husband influenced his perspective on music and how these roles brought shifts in his approach and creativity.

“I listen to a lot more Bluey these days and, Moana. I'm getting well versed in all the children's music that's out there. But there's so much, so many great strings to pull on creatively, both from my life experiences, but also, I think anytime your depth of love and relationship just gets that much deeper and grows, you know, your creative life, whatever that may be, expands that much further. So there's a music part of that, but also on-screen and off-screen. The things I'm doing to sort of get inspired, I think, are directly related to those relationships being as meaningful as they are to me.”
 
Is there a song that he feels is underrated but holds deep meaning for him?

“Every artist probably thinks that there are songs that are underrated, that they love, that maybe the audience didn't fully connect with as much. And I actually watched an interview recently with John Mayer, who mentioned, It's like, I think we should have the ability as an artist to put a song on another album and say, you guys didn't get it back then, but trust me, this is really good.
 
“I think the power of streaming now is that we actually have this wonderful sort of renaissance of people discovering music on their own in the same way that I used to do when I would go into, you know, a CD or record store with my dad and, you know, just pick through different cassettes or CDs to find something that, to me, was new, but to my dad was something that he loved when he was my age or in the past. And similarly, I think we get to do that by just looking for new things, and a lot of times those new things are actually older things. So there are songs like, I Believe, for instance, which was on our album, Happiness Begins, which is one of my favourites that I've ever, kind of written, where at the time, it was sort of, I think, overshadowed by Sucker and some of the other singles on the album. But what's nice to see is that over the last couple of years, there's been an organic discovery of that song because of Spotify and Apple Music. Our early records date back to 2007-2008. People that were our age when we released those records are now our age still, and they're bringing their kids to shows. And so, you know, those 5- to 12-year-olds that come with their parents are discovering this music in a new and organic way. There are things that are relevant to them now, at whatever it is, the early teen years, that were relevant to me then. So that generational effect is what you dream of, and you're just fortunate that it's kind of connecting."
 
RSIFF 2024 will honour award winning actor and his wife Priyanka Chopra at its closing ceremony on December 12. She will join previously announced Red Sea Honouree Viola Davis as RSIFF celebrates her career and contribution to the film industry.

Nick confirmed he will join Priyanka for the ceremony. "I'm aware. I'll be there."