This post was updated May 23 at 10:17 p.m.

Joe Jonas is eager to step out of the shadow of his iconic brotherly trio.

Carving out a new chapter in his career, “Music For People Who Believe In Love” is Jonas’ first solo album in over a decade. Following the release of the Jonas Brothers’ “The Album” in 2023, Joe Jonas returned to solo work for the first time since his underperforming 2011 album “Fastlife,” which struggled both commercially and critically. Known for his roles in both the Jonas Brothers and his funk pop band DNCE, Jonas told Billboard, “This needed to come from my voice in particular.” Released Friday after a seven-month delay, the long-awaited album makes a strong case for this personal approach. Spanning 14 tracks and 44 minutes, it offers a pensive look at Jonas’ journey through love and self-reflection in an ambitious, but largely successful, genre-defying manner.

The opening track “Woven” is unanticipated – it’s a purely instrumental piece with jazz duo DOMi & JD BECK, layering the elegant strum of the harp and a whimsical flute-like flutter with a funky, playful beat. It’s an ambitious blend, but it mostly succeeds in piquing initial intrigue. The album promptly bursts into the second track with “Parachute,” which sets a confident tone with auto-tuned vocals and signature danceable Jonas Brothers beats. Jonas’ choice to run back to his groovy roots is predictable, but the results are catchy.

Listeners get their first glimpse of Jonas at his most vulnerable a few tracks later on “My Own Best Friend.” The track opens with a hushed intro, almost as if he is confiding to listeners in a private moment. This quiet entry slows the album’s pace, welcoming a soulful lament that aches with emotion in every note and is accented by chimes of charming whistling. Jonas reflects on his loneliness as he belts, “If I’m supposed to be here, why do I cry? And I’ll / Take what’s left and build a bridge again / Oh, and I’ll take the steps to be my own best friend.” The song closes by bringing back an electronic voice layered with a gospel-tinged chorus, tying it back nicely to the album’s eclectic soundscape.

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The prereleased track “Work It Out” tricks the listener with a folksy, guitar-strumming start, but it quickly breaks into Jonas’ classic uptempo beat. Its peppy step gets repetitive, and lines such as “Even baddies get saddies and that’s the hardest truth” are undeniably cheesy. Yet its overall positivism contributes to a wholesome exploration of overcoming anxiety and finding oneself. Jonas’ impressive high-pitched riffs echo his sound in DNCE and mirror a comparable vocal range to Adam Levine.

First debuted in a performance at a bar in April, “Heart By Heart” sounds soulful, country and pop all at once, demonstrating Jonas’ thoughtful evolution with lingering remnants of his teen pop-rock energy. Offering a softer, impassioned track for those reminiscing on lovers left behind, he repeatedly chants, “Just remember I will always remember.” If Jonas is aiming for a radio hit with broad appeal, “Heart By Heart” fits the narrative.

Elsewhere, a surprise guest – a brother, in fact – makes an appearance on “Velvet Sunshine.” On the eighth track, Jonas appears alongside Franklin Jonas, the youngest and often forgotten fourth brother, who is not a part of the family-based band. The song incorporates an interesting, futuristic sound palette and modern synthetic feel, but its hurried tempo makes the tune overly optimistic. It channels the classic but repetitive feel-good anthems the brothers are known for, with lyrics such as, “Oh, you give me that velvet sunshine like everything’s alright.”

Another decent collaboration is the duet with Americana artist Sierra Ferrell on “Sip Your Wine,” which dips into country while also maintaining the album’s soft, synthetic undertones. Together, the artists create a folksy blend with a modern twist as Ferrell’s rich vocals harmonize with Jonas’ electronic vocal layering and a twangy guitar, offering a genre-blurring track that has some classic country charm.

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Jonas went all in on an array of artist partnerships, using these collaborations to stretch the range of genres in his album while maintaining a more subtle pop sound. Starting with a chorus of hums on “Hey Beautiful” with French singer Louane and folk pop group Tiny Habits, this ballad is intimate and heartfelt. Louane sings gracefully in French, complimenting this affectionate love story smoothly as Jonas preaches, “Now that you’re mine, what more could I need?” Continuing to take listeners around the world with language, Jonas brings in Brazilian singer Luísa Sonza for the tender “What We Are,” which blends Sonza’s Portuguese lyrics with a groovy beat for an uncomplicated but pleasant number.

The 12th track, “You Got The Right,” returns to the organic, emotional tone of “My Own Best Friend.” Lullaby-like in its simplicity, the song opens and closes with gentle guitar plucks that cradle Jonas’ hushed vocals. He softly confesses, “You got the right to take my heart / You got the right to break it all apart / Every night, I count my lucky stars.” The song is Jonas’ tender, mature acceptance that letting go can be an act of love in itself.

More than just a solo comeback, “Music For People Who Believe In Love” marks a bold reintroduction of Joe Jonas as an artist untethered from his boy-band past but rediscovering his country, alt-rock roots. It succeeds in establishing a unique, distinct identity – something the glossy “Fastlife” aimed for but fell short of. With a patchwork of genre-hopping collaborations and a wide palette of sonic influences, ranging from funk and folk to country and synth-pop, Jonas crafts a project that’s certainly a mixed bag yet notably cohesive. While the themes of love, loss and redirection are straightforward and do not delve as deeply into Jonas’ inner thoughts as fans might hope, they offer the foundation for the relatable lyrics and well-produced hits that Jonas and his brothers are known for.

At first glance, “Music for People Who Believe In Love” dazzles with its genre-blending style, but at its core, it is still a vibrant pop album showcasing Jonas in his most expansive, experimental and genuine form yet.