Nick Jonas is gearing up for a busy summer. When he’s not dropping a new single (the Mustard-assisted “Anywhere”) or hitting up the Billboard Music Awards (where he nearly broke Twitter with his muscle-hugging ensemble), he’s flying around the world to show off his hosting skills.
This summer, he’ll emcee the Malibu Games, in which high-profile Internet influencers compete in various challenges for the express goal of having as much fun as possible. Production of the games, which will rollout online in the coming months, involved a busy three days of filming in Vietnam — Jonas’ first time in the country.
“It was very exciting to get to see Vietnam,” Jonas tells Billboard. “They brought influencers from all around the world together to have a great time, but also, it’s such a new and exciting way to connect with people by bringing social media into the equation…It was work, but it was also a lot of play.”
Jonas says his responsibilities as the first-ever host involved him demonstrating the silly but physically demanding challenges and occasionally participating alongside the influencers. The personalities competing included inspirational filmmaker Rory Kramer, Spanish Instagram star Alba Ferrer, and fitness guru Sierra Dallas.
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“There were some really interesting people from all around the world,” Jonas explains. “Just getting to hear first-hand how social media affects their lives specifically, and how they can make an impact in their country and other countries as well [was] a really interesting thing. I tried to be a student. They’ve all done a good job of finding a way to grow their audience and really make an impact.”
Jonas explored new (musical) territory himself on new track “Anywhere,” which features a dancier sound compared to his previous work.
“Collaborating with Mustard was amazing,” Jonas gushes. “I think it’s exciting to step into this EDM side of things, and to have this collaboration as a first step out this year. I want to make music that people want to have a good time to. When people come to the show, for them to be able to dance and express themselves is kind of the greatest thing… it’s nice to be able to create music that gives people that opportunity, and I think this song encourages them.”
As for his next album, Jonas isn’t putting any restrictions on his creative process.
“I’m not really in a spot where I’m feeling pressured to release something,” he says. “The amazing part about 2018 is that you can be more creative with your releases. When you’re inspired, you can release something, and there’s new and exciting ways to get the music out there. My priority is going to be just trying to stay creative, and when the time is right, release that music.”