Salute to Summer

The military has always had a special place in Nick Jonas‘ heart, as a number of his family members — including his grandfather Gerald Miller — have selflessly served the United States of America.
That’s why the superstar jumped at the opportunity to headline NBCUniversal’s Salute to Summer concert event at Universal Studios Hollywood, which also celebrated the U.S. Army with a series of physical challenges and one-of-a-kind installations that inspire viewers to push beyond their boundaries.

“I’m so grateful to celebrate in the setting of the concert to kick things off, but I also love the ideology behind all this to inspire young people to be the absolute best they can be and find opportunities within the ecosystem of the military to find themselves,” Jonas tells Billboard of performing at the event, which will stream on Peacock starting Friday (July 7).

Staff Sgts. Lamar Riddick (L) and Nicholas Feemster (R)

While he’s fresh off the release of Jonas Brothers‘ recent project The Album, Nick says he enjoys a chance to perform solo tracks every once in a while “to keep it fresh,” like in the case of Salute to Summer.

However, Nick was still thrilled to reflect on the sibling trio’s recent release, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart when it dropped back in May. “Approaching this album-making process, it was really apparent to all of us that we needed to meet each other where we were at, which is very different than it was even four years ago when we released Happiness Begins,” he shares, before noting that his, Joe and Kevin Jonas’ experiences as fathers also shaped how the album turned out.

“Our experiences have grown quite a bit, and the biggest one of those is the lessons of parenthood,” he explains. “I think ‘Waffle House’ does a good job of teeing up what built the foundation for us as a family to be able to have open, honest communication, even in tough moments. That’s something I think all of us want to bring into the way we build our families and I’m so thrilled with the reaction to that song and the people really resonating with the message of the song and what it means for them.”

Speaking of growth, Nick adds that becoming comfortable with themselves and maturing in their relationship allowed him and his brothers to create music they’re truly proud of. “Anytime we tried to do something that some gatekeeper or executive said would work usually ended up not working,” the 30-year-old says with a laugh. “What’s been incredible as an artist is watching, over the last couple of years, the power that the consumer has to be their own gatekeeper. That goes for everything from streaming to creators online and also how we consume content and music and everything else. For us, that’s a plus because it seems that when we’re being true to ourselves and what’s relevant to us and what’s truly authentic, then it seems to resonate with our fans, which means the world to us.”

The JoBros will see their fans in person soon, as they’re slated to kick off their North American tour in support of The Album on Aug. 12. The ambitious Five Albums. One Night. The Tour. is set to be a celebration of the group’s decadeslong career. While Nick says trying to navigate putting five albums worth of songs into one setlist is a “monster” to figure out, he’s excited to bring the idea to life.

“I think all of us really love the idea of challenging ourselves not only to remember all the lyrics but to also dig in and walk down memory lane in a way that felt celebratory and not overly nostalgic, like some sort of weird victory lap towards the end of a career,” Jonas explains, “Because this is truly the start of the next chapter. We all feel ready to get out there and play some shows for our fans here in the U.S. and then eventually, probably top of next year, overseas.”

Check out the Jonas Brothers’ full list of tour dates here, and catch Nick Jonas’ Salute to Summer performance on July 7 via Peacock, which you can sign up for here.