Nick Jonas kicked off his solo career with a bang Wednesday when he released the video for “Chains,” his first post-Jonas Bros single.
A well-produced track plays over occasionally disconcerting imagery.
“Gave you my heart but you took my soul,” sings Jonas, while being dragged on the floor by an off-camera entity that’s never revealed.
About halfway through, Jonas finally breaks free of his titular shackles — which may or may not be a metaphor for his time with the JoBros — and pursues a beautiful woman, played by Dylan Penn (Sean Penn and Robin Wright‘s daughter.)
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“I’m talking about love, I’m talking about heartbreak, a big theme for me in this is trust, and fear,” Jonas told MTV, who premiered the video. “The story behind ‘Chains’ is basically that feeling that all people can relate to, its being trapped. For me specifically in this song, I connected to love and trust and for some people they have said its broader for them, its more than love, it can be about anything that entangles you in your life and doesn’t let you do what you need to do to feel free.”
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Jonas may be all grown up, but he hasn’t completely abandoned his Disney roots. His “Camp Rock” co-star Demi Lovato has lent her voice to several songs on his forthcoming solo album, which doesn’t yet have a name or a release date.