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Nick Jonas hasn’t dropped a new song since his contribution to the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack — but rest assured, the “Close” singer’s got fresh music on the way. “I’m so excited about what I’m working on — it’s definitely a change, in some ways,” he says. “I had some real clarity recently on the sound and direction, where I want to go next. It’s feeling like the best stuff I’ve done.”
While we wait for Jonas’s new material (which he says we’ll hear “hopefully very soon”), his fans can jam out to “Jealous” on rose gold headphones the musician designed as part of his new collaboration with Altec Lansing. Below, he talks sound, style, and his “dark times” spent dressed in head-to-toe Ed Hardy.
You’ve been in the music industry for more than a decade now. Talk to me about your style evolution since you started out.
I think it’s about finding what you’re comfortable and confident in — and, for me, finding a great stylist to work with who pulls things I really like and can get a story together, in a sense. [Ed note: Both Nick and Joe Jonas work with Avo Yermagyan, who also styles Demi Lovato.]
I really care about fashion, and I’ve gotten to learn a lot about it. And the more I learn, the more I want to learn — maybe to a point one day where I can either be involved in a campaign in some capacity, or even design something myself. We’ll see!
Well, you’re off to a good start with these headphones. Tell me about them!
So I was approached by Altec Lansing a few years ago, and I got familiar with the product and just fell in love with it — thought it sounded great.
And for some reason they let me design this headphone collection! I think it’s the perfect combination of great quality and great sound [that also] looks sleek and sexy. There’s a rose gold, and the black leather is my favorite.
Do you have any fashion regrets from your past?
Certainly. I mean, I think we all had an Ed Hardy phase, where you had the hat, and the T-shirt, and the shoes — and the jeans, if you were lucky! Head to toe. Dark times. But we gotta go through the fire to come out knowing what to wear without looking insane.
When I talked to your brother Joe recently, I asked him about his first designer splurge, and he admitted to buying some very over-the-top Louis Vuitton sunglasses. Do you remember yours?
I got a Margiela cardigan sweater, of all things. I love Margiela’s stuff, but this was an incredibly bold piece, faded orange — like, you can only wear it once. It’s a lot.
Do you still have it?
I do! It’s kind of sentimental to me.
Finally, I have to ask about last week’s Met Gala — you wore Ralph Lauren and looked great.
Thanks! My look was fairly simple, just a tuxedo, not too much going on there. Although I did love the jacket — I was really pumped about that.
The Met is one of my favorite events of the year because it’s really low-pressure — well, except for the red carpet, which is pretty intense! But I was walking with a friend of mine, Priyanka [Chopra] — she looked stunning, right? And then you get inside and it’s just fun, you just end up drinking and hanging out, seeing a cool performance, and then going to some parties. It’s a really great night, and this was my second year in a row going. Hopefully I can go again next year!