Nick Jonas sits down for an intimate conversation about his evolution from Disney star to husband, father, and solo artist. The global superstar opens up about his upcoming fifth solo album Sunday Best, set for release February 6th, 2026, which reflects his life as a family man and the purpose he's found beyond fame.

The conversation covers Nick's journey from performing on Broadway at age 8 to navigating the pressures of Disney stardom with his brothers. He discusses the family's financial struggles after being dropped from their first record label, his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and how these challenges shaped his resilience and creativity.

Nick shares deeply personal details about his marriage to Priyanka Chopra Jonas and their daughter Malti Marie's dramatic entry into the world, born at just 1 pound 11 ounces and spending 3.5 months in the NICU. He reflects on how parenthood has transformed his perspective, his ongoing work with therapy, and his mission to break stigmas around men's mental health.

From Church Kid to Broadway: The Early Foundation

Nick started performing professionally at age 8 after being discovered singing in a hair salon, leading to Broadway roles and eventually the Jonas Brothers formation.

Growing up as "the first family of the church" with his father as pastor provided training for later Disney fame: "We were expected to behave a certain way, expected to be sat in the front pew of the church every Sunday morning with our tie and our suit on, and there was a lot of eyeballs on us."

The family faced simultaneous crises: his father lost his pastoral job due to church politics, they went hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt after being dropped from their first record label, and Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Breaking Free from the "Shy One" Label

Nick struggled with being labeled "the shy one" or "the creative, moody one" in the Jonas Brothers: "These labels, like they do, stick with you as you get older, and you start to sort of subscribe to it as well, and then it becomes a part of your self-talk."

He became overly critical of himself after a failed TV guitar solo performance, describing how he built up music as "this skyscraper" of identity that couldn't have any cracks.

His new song "Gut Punch" addresses this inner critic directly: "I hurt my own feelings. How did I get so good at being mean to myself? I should turn the heat down, tell myself to chill out."

Love Story: From Twitter DM to Marriage

Nick first saw Priyanka on a Sunset Boulevard billboard for "Quantico" and thought "Wow, she's stunning," eventually DMing her on Twitter after she followed him.

They messaged for about a year before meeting in person, with Priyanka arriving 45 minutes late to their first drink date ("which I now know is a thing, so I expect that").

"That night when I saw her walk in, she was wearing blue jeans, a white top and like a black leather jacket, and I just was like, I'm going to marry this woman" - Nick knew immediately on their first proper date.

The timeline was rapid: they got engaged 2.5 months after that first date and married 3-4 months later, now celebrating seven years of marriage.

NICU Journey: 3.5 Months of Fighting

Malti Marie was born at 1 pound 11 ounces during COVID, requiring immediate intubation and intensive care: "She came out purple basically, and these angels at the NICU necessitated her in that moment."

Nick and Priyanka took 12-hour shifts at the hospital for 3.5 months, "seeing each other sort of as passing ships" while their daughter fought for her life.

After six blood transfusions and months of gradual weight gain, they finally brought her home: "She fought every day for three and a half months and slowly started to gain some weight."

Nick believes the experience shaped his daughter's spirit: "I feel like she knows how she entered the world and what that first chapter of her life was like, and so every day is a gift and you can actually feel it on her."

Parenthood's Paradox: Anxiety and Wonder

Becoming a father brought unexpected anxiety alongside joy: "Having that as the sort of foundation for her entry into the world made me anxious about everything, not just parenting and all that, but life in general."

The responsibility felt overwhelming when leaving the hospital: "They ask you, are you ready to take your daughter home? It's like, well, yeah, of course... but it's a crazy question to be asked."

Parenthood also unlocked his playful side: "The thing that surprised me most is how easy it was to play make believe and be silly and do a kid voice. I always was embarrassed to be silly, and I'm not with her."

His daughter's curiosity reinvigorated his own: "Why is glass clear? It's one of the questions she asked me, and it's like, it's so fascinating... I find myself on Google researching all this stuff that I just sort of accepted."

Mental Health and Marriage: Breaking Stigmas

Nick advocates for men's mental health: "For all the men out there, it's important. There is a stigma still for a lot of people, and there shouldn't be. And you're going to see incredible results in your life if you do it."

He works on being less defensive in marriage: "Being defensive, I feel like is an area in my life as a whole, but also my marriage that I'm always trying to improve on."

Physical movement helps manage anxiety: "Moving my body in some way always helps. Getting physical, whether that's working out or taking a long walk, playing golf."

His definition of being a good husband centers on reliability and modeling behavior: "Knowing that our daughter is watching and will one day hopefully find somebody that makes her incredibly happy, and the way in which I treat her mother is incredibly important to who she becomes."