Q&A: Nick Jonas on hit singles, JoBros, Timberlake, acting

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nick Jonas may have become a sex symbol to female fans in the last year, but the singer says his new tour won’t cater just to the ladies. He’s thinking about his male fans, too.

“I don’t think I’ll cater physically to the women so that it’s not polarizing to my male fans,” Jonas said.

“And at the core, I’m kind of a dude,” he said laughing, “so I like to get out and have a good time.”

The Nick Jonas Live in Concert Tour will kick off Sept. 6 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Tickets go on sale Friday.

The 22-year-old is riding high on the success of his hit singles “Jealous” and “Chains,” which have reached platinum status and dominated on radio. They appear on his latest, self-titled album.

He’s also busy outside of music: He’s filming the movie “Goat,” gearing up for the second season of DirecTV’s “Kingdom” and will appear in the new Fox series “Scream Queens.”

Jonas talked about his busy schedule, being compared to Justin Timberlake and reuniting with the Jonas Brothers in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

AP: You have so many female fans, so will your tour be a ladies’ night tour?

Jonas: You know I think that the male fan base has actually been the biggest thing to watch grow. It’s been pretty special to see that change. I think a big part of that has to do with the music.

AP: Are you surprised that both “Jealous” and “Chains” have been on heavy rotation on the radio?

Jonas: It’s a kind of bizarre thing to think that now I’ve got two songs that people have connected to, and I just want to continue to build on that. I feel like in a lot of ways what I’m doing is just the beginning of what I hope is a really long journey, and it’s all about staying hungry and (being) willing to dig in and work hard.

AP: You’ve drawn some comparisons to Justin Timberlake since he was also in a boy band and meshes R&B with pop sounds. What do you think of that?

Jonas: It’s an incredible feeling. Justin has had an amazing career, amazing transition — both as a musical artist but also as an actor. And the acting has been a really big thing for me in the last year and a half with some projects I’ve become really passionate about. … So those comparisons are really flattering. Justin has done his thing and has had his own journey, and I’m sure I’ll have my own as well. And I’m honored people would make that comparison, but definitely staying in my own lane as well.

AP: Were you nervous when you decided to tackle a more R&B sound?

Jonas: I think anytime you try to push yourself and push your sound and evolve is a little frightening. Just being bold and taking those steps. But I saw really quickly that the fans connected with it.

AP: Did you play your album for your brothers before you released it?

Jonas: I played the record for them about a month before it came out, wanted to kind of get their opinions on what they thought should be singles and overall what their vibe was on it. Their opinion meant a lot to me and they both were really supportive … I think I really needed that support going in to feel comfortable to really take that step forward.

AP: Do you think you guys would reunite for a song or album?

Jonas: I think our time creatively together is done. Never say never though. I can’t predict what’s going to happen one day or the next. … I would say for right now I’m happy to be doing my own thing.

AP: What’s it been like working with James Franco in the film “Goat”?

Jonas: He has been an incredible force creatively for this movie. He’s one of the producers in the movie and I’m not really allowed to say what his involvement is with it — it’s kind of a secret.

AP: You have a song on the upcoming soundtrack for Broadway’s “Finding Neverland.” What was it like being a part of Broadway again?

Jonas: I’m a big fan on Broadway and I’ve been really fortunate to get to perform on Broadway a bunch of times, so anything I can do in that sense to support and show love to that community is always great for me.

AP: Is doing Broadway again one of your goals?

Jonas: I think that the next thing I’d be a part of, I’d love for it to be something that I wrote. So hopefully I can write a show at some point and then get to perform it.

AP: How are you balancing music and acting?

Jonas: It’s been a little tricky at times to be honest … the acting projects take up a lot of time and I love doing them and want to be the kind of performer that can do both.

____

Online:

http://www.nickjonas.com/home/

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.