[dramatic music]
narrator: On this episode of "My Life on MTV"...
♪
- This face, MTV-- it goes together.
narrator: From fresh-faced rookies on the music scene...
- At 17, I had my first hit record,
and that's when it all started.
narrator: To full-fledged global superstars.
[cheers and applause]
- So, you guys went from being like normal teenagers
to huge stars really quickly.
narrator: The Jonas Brothers and Usher have grown up
before our MTV-watching eyes.
- Like, I'm a superstar.
- I love them!
- Yeah!
narrator: The chart-topping music videos
and heart-stopping live performances
have made them some of the hottest
and best-selling performers of all time.
- The Jonas Brothers! - Usher.
narrator: We're busting open the archives.
- We gonna go hard.
narrator: Sharing everything they did
for our cameras only.
- There's nothing like it.
narrator: This is "My Life on MTV."
- Definitely in for a surprise.
- Ladies and gentlemen... rock and roll.
- Hello, I'm Nick. - I'm Kevin.
- I'm Joe. And we're the Jonas Brothers.
- ♪ Oh, oh, Mandy always knows exactly what I'm thinking ♪
♪ And she's always on my mind
♪ I never thought that I'd get hit ♪
♪ By this lovebug again
- ♪ What a man gotta prove?
♪ To be totally locked up by you ♪
- ♪ I'm a sucker for you
narrator: Your family tree has nothing on this.
- When we didn't believe in ourselves
as a band and brothers,
you guys stuck with us through the thick and thin.
- ♪ I'm feeling so cool
narrator: They have style.
They have swag.
- ♪ Damn it, I'm feeling so cool ♪
narrator: The Jonas Brothers must've been slaying the game
since day one, right?
- Hey, everybody!
This is the Jonas Brothers! Yeah!
- [giggles]
- Whoo!
- There's a brand-new boy band of brothers
about to break big.
- They're so hot!
- These New Jersey natives have already opened
for the likes of Jesse McCartney
and the Backstreet Boys.
- Our dream came true in that day.
narrator: The JoBros' big dreams
didn't come true overnight.
- ♪ I wish I had a song on MTV ♪
narrator: All icons gotta start somewhere.
- Follow me.
narrator: Kevin, Joe, and Nick
grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey.
- Our dad was a pastor at a church in Wyckoff,
so I guess we've always been around music.
narrator: But the Big Apple was calling,
and these Jersey boys
were headed straight to Times Square.
- So, you guys went from being like normal teenagers
to huge stars really quickly.
- It actually started with Nick.
narrator: Nick Jonas kicked off his career at age seven.
- I did Broadway for about four years.
It was good training, you know, for what I do now.
narrator: By 11, Nick had a record deal,
but it wasn't a solo deal for long.
- Me and Kevin were like,
"Hey, Nick, can we write a song with you?"
We wrote a song called "Please Be Mine,"
and it was actually really good.
- ♪ Can't stop my heart from calling you ♪
♪ It's calling you
- We asked the A&R guy, "Can we just play it for you?"
I mean, he absolutely loved it
and wanted to sign us as a brother group that day.
narrator: After a year,
the Jonas Brothers hit a major milestone.
- When I was 17, I went to TRL for the first time.
- I love the Jonas Brothers!
Awesome!
[cheers and applause]
- Looking out that window
and seeing fans that we didn't know we had,
was possibly the coolest thing that happened to us.
- I mean, I'm here at TRL. Like what? That's crazy.
- That's when it all felt like
"Oh, my gosh. This could happen."
- Your debut album, "It's About Time," coming out.
The first single off of your guys's album is called "Mandy."
Is there a real Mandy? - There is.
We grew up, like, best friends.
Then Joseph dated her. - [gasps]
- They broke up. It's all good.
- He's single. - We're all single.
- ♪ Mandy always laughs when I act stupid ♪
♪ I am unaware that I'm a nuisance ♪
♪ With her, it's never wasted time ♪
narrator: The brothers were taking over TRL
and the world had no choice but to stan.
- And you guys have sold out the Garden, right,
for these--all three of these nights,
which is absolutely amazing. - Yeah.
- The fact that we're able to play Madison Square Garden
and sold it out...
- It's like all of our dreams coming true.
- And to top it off, it's going to be streaming
live on mtv.com.
- ♪ Hotter
♪ 'Cause I'm burnin' up, burnin' up ♪
narrator: The band's stint at Madison Square Garden
lasted for three nights,
but they got nice and comfy at TRL.
- We hosted for, I think, a week back in 2008.
♪
- The Jonas Brothers' fans have taken over Times Square.
- Please send me up. I wanna meet them so bad.
- Times Square is shut down.
- I absolutely love you guys. - Thank you.
- And my question's for Nick. Who's the most competitive
and who's the biggest sore loser?
- I think you take both those categories, though.
- I think he does.
- Question for me, Joe. - Oh, I'm sorry, Nick.
narrator: Seemed like the JoBros
were living their best life in the summer of '08,
but it was about to get better.
- Does anyone here know that we're going to play
at this year's Video Music Awards?
narrator: The night started with teen titan Taylor Swift
cosigning the band on the red carpet.
- We've got my favorite people on the planet.
We've got the Jonas Brothers here.
You guys are nominated for Video of the Year,
which is pretty insane.
narrator: They were also up
for the best pop video of the year,
but both Moon Men went to Britney.
- Thank you.
narrator: But there's no time to be salty
when your debut VMA performance awaits.
- ♪ Over the edge, I'm just breathless ♪
♪ I never thought that I'd catch this ♪
♪ Lovebug again
- It was my favorite performance of the night.
It was a rock show.
narrator: By the end of 2008,
the band sold over eight million albums worldwide
and were gaining millions of fans on the daily.
- My shirt says, "Will you marry me Nick?"
- They're crazy, fanatic, amazing fans.
- We woke up at 4:00 this morning
and we just really love them so much.
- All right, we're going upstairs.
- They're the best.
They're the reason that we're doing what we're doing.
\hnarrator: With JoBro mania going full throttle by 2009,
the brothers dropped \h\h\h\ha new album.
- Titled "Lines, Vines, \h\hand Trying Times."
\h\h\h\hThis is the fourth, and, according to the guys,
most personal Jonas Brothers \h\h\h\h\hstudio project yet.
- We went through a lot, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hyou know,
in our personal lives \hand also musically.
\h\h\h- And with the new album comes a new look.
- But don’t you think they \h\h\h\hdress really well?
- Yes, they definitely do.
- They’ve got the best outfits \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hall over.
- Trend alert. Trend alert. \h- We pick our own clothes
and we come together, \h\h\hand sometimes,
it just looks insane together.
\h\h\h\h\h\hBut then sometimes when it just clicks, it clicks.
narrator: After Joe \hhit the flat iron
\h\h\h\h\h\hand Kevin unleashed his curls...
- That’s my look, you know
I thought I was all cool, \h\h\h\h\h\hbut whatever.
\hnarrator: The boys were all glowed up.
\h\h- And I’m usually the one to go for the colorful stuff.
- I’m the most hip hop.
[record scratch] \h- [laughing]
narrator: The band’s style
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hwasn’t the only thing changing.
\h\h- Joe Jonas is dropping his very first solo album.
- Being able to have \h\ha little time off
from the Jonas Brothers
to work on this solo project \h\h\h\h\h\hhas been amazing.
narrator: Nick also came \h\h\hto MTV with plans
for his solo project.
- So I heard you have \h\h\h\h\ha dream job
that doesn’t involve music. \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h- I do.
I have always dreamed \hof opening a deli.
\h\hMy primary focus will be on me doing
some side producing \h\hand songwriting.
Kevin has some really exciting \hprojects coming up as well.
- I just want to explore \h\h\h\h\h\hevery option.
narrator: Kevin and his wife, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDanielle,
starred on a reality show, \hand then this happened.
\h\h\h- You recently announced that you and your wife Danielle
are expecting. \h\h\hCongrats.
\h\h\h\h- Thank you so much. We’re really, really excited.
narrator: In 2012, the JoBros \h\h\hwere back in the studio.
- When you travel a lot \h\h\h\h\hby yourself,
you start to realize how much
you miss those experiences \h\h\h\h\h\h\hand touring.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThere may be some more Jonas Brothers stuff soon.
\hnarrator: It was family forever...
until it wasn’t.
- We just reached a point where we weren’t creating
\h\h\h\hthe kind of music that we needed to create
\h\h\hto really progress. It wasn’t really healthy.
\h\h- I can’t really breathe and I don’t have my inhaler.
[fans sobbing]
\h- Literally feel like it came out of nowhere,
\h\hlike a bird in the sky just pooped on my shoulder.
- We all thought it was a joke.
\h\h\h- I truly believe that it’s Nick’s fault.
[dramatic bass music]
\h\hnarrator: The JoBros might have been no more,
but they stayed on MTV’s radar
\hwith huge solo hits like Nick’s "Jealous."
- ♪ It’s my right \hto be hellish ♪
♪ I still get jealous
- I try and push myself \h\h\h\h\h\hlyrically,
say some deeper things.
♪ And everybody wants a taste ♪
- ♪ I’ll be Diddy, you’ll be \h\h\h\h\h\hNaomi, whoa-oh ♪
\h\hnarrator: Joe smashed the charts and got us all
on the DNCE train \hwith their track
"Cake by the Ocean."
\h\h\h\h- ♪ I keep on hoping we’ll eat cake by the ocean ♪
narrator: The brothers lived the solo life for six years,
gaining some very special \hplus-ones along the way,
and fans couldn’t let go.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h- Why? - We’re upset about it.
- So many people who, like, \h\h\h\h\hwaited for them.
\h\h- Whatever it is you’re going through,
we hope you one day come back together
and stay the Jonas Brothers \h\h\hthat the world loves.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hnarrator: Then...a miracle happened.
- They’re back.
\h\h\h\h\hMy guests today are no strangers to TRL,
the Jonas Brothers!
narrator: The Jonas Brothers returned to a familiar place
with their new album, \h"Happiness Begins."
- Times Square has not looked \h\h\hlike that on TRL top 10
\h\hin quite some time. We’re very excited here.
- That feels good, right?
\h\h- This is a really important place for us,
being on TRL and able to see \h\hour songs start to chart.
There’s nothing like it.
narrator: Jonatics ate the \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\halbum up
\h\hand "Sucker" got the guys their first number one single
ever.
- ♪ I’m a sucker for you
[slinky pop music]
narrator: That year’s VMAs \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hwent down
for the first time \h\hin New Jersey.
\h- How does it feel to be home? - Feels pretty good to be home,
you know, to be back here, \h\h\hplaying in New Jersey
after 11 years, on the VMAs, \h\h\h\h\h\htogether again.
It feels pretty good.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h- Unbelieve-- they’re going cra--say hi.
\hnarrator: Just the thought of a reunion had fans shook,
\h\hbut the guys still had to decide what to perform.
- I think we should play none \h\hother than "Burnin’ Up."
- Okay. Throwback. \h\h- "Burnin’ Up."
- Our first-ever video \hnominated for a VMA.
\h\h\h- We lost. Just a reminder.
[laughter]
- ♪ I can’t remember
narrator: But that didn’t \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hstop them.
From Jersey’s famous \h\h\h\hStone Pony,
they solidified their status \h\h\h\h\has comeback kings.
- ♪ Stumbling out of bars
\h\h\h♪ I follow you through the dark, can’t get enough ♪
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h♪ I’m a sucker for all the subliminal things ♪
♪ No one knows about you
narrator: Jonas Brothers \hwere officially back.
- Best pop.
- And the VMA goes to...
the Jonas Brothers.
- ♪ I’m a sucker for all
\h\hnarrator: They won their first VMA ever,
which only took 13 years.
- This award is dedicated \h\h\h\h\hto all the fans
that believed in us.
- Thank you. We love you.
- Thank you.
- ♪ You ain’t tryna be \h\h\h\hwasting time ♪
♪ On stupid people \hand cheap lines ♪
narrator: The bros showed off \h\h\h\h\htheir better halves
\hwith the release of their "What a Man Gotta Do" video,
featuring the first ladies \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hof Jonas:
Danielle, Sophie, \h\hand Priyanka.
- ♪ What a man gotta do?
♪ What a man gotta do?
♪ To be totally locked up \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hby you ♪
♪ What a man gotta pray?
narrator: Here’s to a future \hfull of MTV JoBro moments.
- And we love you MTV. \h\h\h\h\h\hThank you.
- ♪ Totally locked up \h\h\h\h\h\hby you ♪
- Ladies and gentlemen... \h\h\h\h\h\hrock and roll.
\h\h- ♪ You make me wanna leave the one I’m with ♪
♪ Ooh, baby, start a new \hrelationship with you ♪
♪ See what you do?
♪ I said, yeah, yeah, shorty got down low ♪
♪ Said, come and get me
♪ Yeah, yeah
♪ I got so caught up, forgot she told me ♪
♪ ’Cause, baby, tonight
♪ The DJ got us falling \h\h\h\hin love again ♪
♪ In love again
♪ Oh, my, oh, my
♪ Oh, oh, oh, my, my
♪ My, my, my, my
♪ Oh, my gosh
♪ You don’t have to call
narrator: R&B superstar Usher \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hhas had hits
that have dominated \h\h\h\hthe airwaves
and topped the charts \h\h\h\h\h\hfor years.
- ♪ If you wanna scream, yeah
narrator: It’s clear \hthis R&B Casanova
is in a league of his own.
- We’re going all the way \h\h\h\h\hto the top, MTV.
I’m taking y’all with me and we gonna do the damn thing.
\h- ♪ Take back, rewind it back ♪
[slow jam music]
narrator: At just \h\h15 years old,
\h\h\h\h\hthis fresh-faced kid from Atlanta had a record deal
\h\h\hbefore he had a driver’s license.
- ♪ Every time I look at you
♪ There are so many things \h\h\h\h\hthat I wanna do ♪
narrator: Usher hitched a ride \h\h\hwith Sean "Puffy" Combs
\honto the R&B scene with his debut album
"Usher" in 1994,
and he leveled up fast.
- The vibe really didn’t work
’til we started moving in another direction,
creating a new vibe \h\h\hand a new look
for what Usher was all about.
I mean, it came from me.
- ♪ I don’t want to go, \hdon’t need to stay ♪
\h♪ But I really need to get it together ♪
narrator: His second album, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h"My Way,"
dropped in 1997,
earned him a spot \h\hon our couch.
\h\h- ♪ Wanna leave the one I’m with ♪
\h\hYou like that? - I love that song.
- ♪ Start a new relationship \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hwith you ♪
♪ Think about a ring and all the things ♪
♪ That come along with you
♪ You make me, you make me
narrator: Usher served up \h\h\ha fresh take on R&B
with nods to some of the OGs.
- ...Stevie Wonder, \h\hDonny Hathaway,
just a couple of people \h\hthat I listened to.
[vocalizing]
\h\h\h\h\hThat’s the way that you better yourself.
If you study legends, man,
I mean, there’s a possibility you could turn into a legend.
\h\h\h\h♪ I’d do any and everything you want to ♪
- One of the more colorful \hvideos on MTV, "My Life"
from Usher comes in at number seven on "Total Request Live."
- ♪ She likes it my way
narrator: Usher had found \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hhis voice
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\has an artist and his record sales exploded.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h- At 17, I had my first hit record,
and that’s where \hit all started.
♪
\h- ♪ Bad-ass señoritas, two-seaters with kicks ♪
\h\h\h\h\h\h♪ New kicks, y’all all up in the mix ♪
narrator: Performing \h\h\h\hat the VMAs,
Usher was quickly becoming \h\h\h\h\ha household name
and a hit-making powerhouse \hwith no signs of stopping.
- MTV live, this is Usher,
\h\h\h\h\hgearing up for 1998 Spring Break
here in Jamaica.
♪ It’s 7:00 on the dot
\h♪ I’m in my drop top, cruisin’ the streets ♪
- ♪ Yeah, oh yeah
- ♪ I got a real pretty
\h♪ Pretty little thang that’s waiting for me ♪
\h\h\hWhat I want to do is bring R&B solo music
back to the forefront.
- Ladies, we got Usher \h\h\h\h\hin the house.
[cheers and applause]
\h\h\h\h\hHis CD, "8701," drops in stores tomorrow.
He’s got a hot new single,
\h\h\h"You Remind Me," burning up the charts.
- ♪ You remind me of a girl
\h♪ That I once knew ♪
narrator: "You Remind Me" \h\h\h\h\hwas a hit single
before the album even dropped.
So it was no surprise his fans \h\hat TRL knew all the words.
all: ♪ You won’t believe \h\h\hall of the things ♪
♪ She put me through
♪ This is why I just \h\h\h\h\hcan’t get ♪
fans: ♪ With you
- Yeah, what’s the deal?
This is La La coming at you
from the "Confessions" \halbum release party.
The album is unbelievable.
- ♪ She got one on the way
♪ These are my confessions
\h\h\h\h\h♪ Man, I’m throwed and I don’t know what to do ♪
With everything that has been \h\h\h\hhappening in my life,
\h\hI got a lot built up in me that I just want to let go of.
♪ Confessions
narrator: The "Confessions" \h\h\h\h\halbum showed fans
a different side of Usher
that was raw, emotional, \h\h\h\h\hand relatable.
- "Confessions" is number one \h\h\h\h\h\h\hin the country
this week for five weeks, man.
- Y’all I have no idea \hhow happy I am, man.
[bumping beat plays] \h\h\h\h- ♪ Yeah!
narrator: Usher paid tribute \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hto Atlanta’s
distinct hip-hop sound,
\h\hteaming up with producer Lil Jon and rapper Ludacris
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hto create the gritty club track "Yeah."
- ♪ Let’s drink, you the one \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hto please ♪
♪ Ludacris fill cups \h\hlike double Ds ♪
♪ Me and Ursh’ once more, and we leaves ’em dead ♪
♪ We want a lady \hin the street ♪
♪ But a freak in the bed \h\h\h\h\h\h\hthat say ♪
- ♪ Yeah, yeah!
\h\h- ♪ Shorty got down low and said, come and get me ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah
\h♪ I got so caught up, I forgot she told me ♪
- ♪ Let me hear you say \h\h\h\h- ♪ Yeah, yeah
narrator: Usher rocked the VMA stage in 2004,
and his night was about \h\hto get even better.
- And the Moon Man goes to...
- My A-town boys,
Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris! \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYeah!
[cheers and applause]
narrator: The Atlanta trio \h\h\h\htook home Moon Men
\h\h\hfor best dance and best male video.
- I must say it before \hLil Jon get up here.
Yeah!
narrator: And best album \h\h\h\h\h\hat the EMAs.
- First, I want to thank \h\h\h\h\hall of my fans
for all of your support.
narrator: And he did it \h\h\h\h\h\h\hin person.
\h\h- [giggling] - How you doing?
- You made this the most memorable day in my life.
- Thank you. Come on.
narrator: Throughout \h\h\h\hhis career,
MTV was more than happy
\hto "usher" in fans, up close and personal.
- Do your fans mean \h\h\ha lot to you?
- I spend more time thinking \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\habout my fans
than I think about myself.
\h- When was it that you first realized that you were famous?
- I think when the lady ran \hafter the bus butt-naked,
that’s when I realized, \h\h\h\hyou know what?
\h\h\hIt’s on and popping and it’s not gonna stop.
[horn honking, \h\h\hlaughter]
- ♪ Don’t leave your girl \h\h\h\h\h\h\haround me ♪
♪ True playa for real, ask my [...] Pharrell ♪
♪ You don’t have to call
♪ It’s okay, girl
\h\hnarrator: And just how Usher’s sound has evolved,
so has his fashion \hover the years.
- I’m noticing your wardrobe.
\h\h- This is flavor. You know what I mean?
Just opening up something new. \h\h\h\h\hYou know what I mean?
\h\h\hnarrator: From sporting goggles...
- Ever went skiing? \h\h\h\h\h\h\h- No.
I’ve actually never \h\h\hwent skiing.
You know, we do it like that.
Ridiculous.
narrator: To blinged-out \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJordans.
- I collect, like, \h\h\hmad Jordans.
I have every Jordan ever.
narrator: And in the years \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hsince,
Usher has traded \hin his goggles
for a more mature look,
always stepping up his swag,
like when he showed up \h\h\hto the 2004 VMAs
in the ultimate accessory.
\h- ♪ It’s 7:00 on the yacht ♪
♪ I’m in my drop top, \hcruisin’ the sea ♪
- I tell you what, you know \hhow to make an entrance.
- Yeah, man.
\hnarrator: And what better place to punk a fashion icon
\h\h\hthan a ritzy LA clothing store?
- All right, so he has this watch him with the bag now.
That goes into the bag.
- We’re doing a radio spot \h\h\h\h\h\h\hin two days.
- Are you suggesting \h\h\hthat I perform
\h\h\hto compensate for him stealing this merchandise?
- This is $522.
- I’m worth a little bit \h\h\h\h\hmore than 522.
- Usher... \h\h- Yes?
You’ve just been punked.
[laughter]
narrator: But there were \h\h\hno hard feelings.
- Hey, it’s always good \h\h\h\h\h\hto be home.
♪ I wanna make love \h\hin this club ♪
♪ Make love in this club
narrator: Usher’s slow jam, \h\h\h\h"Love in This Club"
became his eighth number one single
and the fastest-rising \hsong of his career.
- [vocalizing]
♪
\h\hnarrator: Usher rode that success but didn’t stop there.
- This is actually the studio \h\h\hwhere we do everything.
narrator: He headed back into \hthe lab just a couple years
later to create something completely out of the box.
- We’re gonna do it like we did it last time, but even better.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h♪ Baby, I can break you down ♪
♪ There’s so many ways \h\h\h\h\hto love ya ♪
♪ Got me like, oh, my God
narrator: The evolution of \h\h\h\h\hUsher continued
\h\h\h\h\hwhen he tore up the stage at the 2010 VMAs
with a new electropop sound.
- ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, \h\hoh, my gosh ♪
[cheers and applause]
♪ If you wanna \hscream yeah ♪
\h"Scream" is really like the next step.
You know, as I’ve had \h\hthis long journey,
every bit of what I’ve experienced
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hmusically, physically, emotionally,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hI put into it in a creative, artistic way.
♪ It ain’t what you do \h\h\h\h\h\h\h’cause ♪
♪
♪ Ooh, hey!
♪ Yeah!
♪ If you knew what I knew
narrator: In recent years, \hhe’s been collaborating
\h\h\h\hwith artists like Nicki Minaj...
- ♪ Usher, got ’em under \h\h\h\h\h\h\hpressure ♪
\h\h\h\h\h♪ When your girl come through, Nicki gonna crush her ♪
♪ Just don’t waste my time
narrator: Ella Mai.
- ♪ Coffee in the morning, \h\h\h\hwhat a date night ♪
narrator: And producer \h\h\h\hMartin Garrix.
- ♪ Don’t be timid \hwhen you in it ♪
♪ Better lay right
- ♪ ’Cause, baby, tonight
♪ The DJ got us falling \h\h\h\hin love again ♪
\h\h\h\h\hnarrator: Over the past 20-plus years,
Usher has delivered \h\h\hhit after hit.
- ♪ In love again
\h\hnarrator: With a Vegas residency on the horizon,
the multitalented showman is sure to blow fans away,
\hjust like he’s been doing for years right here on MTV.
- ♪ Falling in love again
And cut.
- Rock and roll.