TORONTO -- Now unchaperoned by his older brothers and usually unaccompanied even by his guitar, the newly solo Nick Jonas can feel a little naked crooning on stage these days.
"It has been a major adjustment," said the 22-year-old Disney graduate in a recent telephone interview, noting that he does still strum a guitar onstage on occasion. "It's kind of bizarre for me to be sitting up there alone at times. But it feels good. It feels really liberated as well.
"I'm excited to step alone and make this statement."
Lately, Jonas has been getting used to being literally naked as well, as the one-time Jonas Brothers heartthrob has announced his transition into adult music with a series of revealing photo shoots.
It could be considered brand-building for a young singer who's seeking to channel the sensuality of early Justin Timberlake or even Britpop giant Robbie Williams.
Jonas's self-titled debut -- and it is a debut, he says, dismissing his 2010 Nick Jonas & The Administration album as a "side project" recorded with "limited time" -- was out last week, and Jonas is in the midst of an arena tour.
The Jonas Brothers were actually born as a solo project for Nick, who was on Broadway stages as early as seven years old. A solo record credited to "Nicholas" Jonas even saw a limited release in 2005.
Then an executive saw the potential in expanding the focus to include Nick's brothers Joe and Kevin, and a lucrative if fleeting empire was born. The Grammy-nominated Jonas Brothers made three platinum albums in less than three years, starred in the successful TV movie franchise "Camp Rock" and released a 3D concert film before breaking up in October 2013.
Where that band traded in super-glossy power pop, Jonas's solo step-out is all chrome electronic-pop, tempered with the faint influence of Jonas's R&B heroes.
"It was about being creative, thinking outside the box, and trying to do exactly the opposite of what people expected," Jonas explained of his approach.
He says he's comfortable in the role of seductive frontman, but that doesn't mean he entered the project riding limitless confidence.
"It's been incredibly intense for me. The last couple months, the pressure I feel like I put on myself with this and other things was (daunting)," he said. "I worked as hard as I could on it. ... These things last forever. They're out there forever."
Jonas isn't limiting his focus to music, though. He still has designs on a screen career.
In October, DirecTV began airing "Kingdom," a series that revolves around a mixed martial arts gym and its members. Jonas plays an up-and-coming fighter dealing with familial baggage.
Jonas underwent rigorous training -- a physical transformation, really -- to prepare for the role. So he was pleased by news that it was recently renewed for two more seasons, though he realizes his strict diet has also been extended indefinitely.
"There is a little bit of pressure," he conceded. "Maybe I can't eat as much pizza and pasta in the off-season."
