TORONTO — Nick Jonas gave fans a first look at his upcoming solo album, “Sunday Best,” during a Sunday Best Brunch event in Toronto on Sunday, Dec. 14. The Jonas Brothers member and solo artist performed the new ballad “Gut Punch” at the event, joined on stage by his younger brother, Franklin Jonas, and album collaborator JP Saxe.
“Gut Punch,” set for release Jan. 1, will appear on “Sunday Best,” Jonas’ first full-length solo album in five years. The 11-track album explores Jonas’ life as a husband to actress Priyanka Chopra and father to their daughter, Malti. The album is scheduled for release Feb. 6.
According to a release, Jonas discussed the origins of “Gut Punch” and the personal themes woven throughout the album at Sunday’s event, where fans also heard stripped-back performances of new songs and reworked favorites. Attendees were given a behind-the-scenes look at the stories that inspired the album.
In an accompanying video, Chopra asked Jonas if there was a lyric on the album he was afraid to say out loud. “I hurt my own feelings,” Jonas responded, before performing the song’s refrain: “Hit me like a gut punch / I hurt my own feelings / How did I get so good at being mean to myself?”
In a separate video, Jonas highlighted the album’s themes of self-forgiveness and reflection, pointing to phrases such as, “You’re exactly where you’re meant to be,” “You don’t need to have everything figured out,” “You can’t be behind on your own timeline,” and “You’re allowed to be proud of how far you’ve come.”
Jonas has performed “Gut Punch” throughout the Jonas Brothers’ Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown anniversary tour, which has seven remaining dates this year, including a performance Monday, Dec. 15, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
“I’m so excited to share these new stories, candid thoughts, quiet walks home in the city, and snapshots of my life over these past few years,” Jonas said in a statement announcing the album earlier this month. “And while this album was made over the course of the last two years, it was truly 33 years in the making.”
A release described the album as drawing inspiration from Jonas’ musical roots and early years singing in church choirs, aiming to provide listeners an intimate look into his world and explore honesty, growth and rediscovery through unguarded storytelling.