Nick Jonas has always been an open book when it came to his type 1 diabetes, and the ways in which he takes care of himself. On his new solo album, Sunday Best, the singer got even more vulnerable, and recently discussed why that openness was always so important to him, especially when it came to teaching his daughter about his disease.
Nick Jonas recently released his new solo album, Sunday Best, which is being described as his most vulnerable project yet. Being open about parts of his personal life and health is nothing new to the singer, as he always wanted to be candid with his fans about his type 1 diabetes since he first received his diagnosis at 13.
Bringing awareness and knowing that he could be a voice for the many others who have the chronic autoimmune disease was important to him from the beginning, and recently, Jonas sat down with People Magazine to discuss why this was a priority for him. He also discussed how, surprisingly, an interaction with a fan helped him when it came to educating his 4-year-old daughter, Malti Marie, about his health and how he takes care of himself.
Over the past two years, Nick endured two major tours, an album, and a movie with the Jonas Brothers, as well as doing The Last Five Years on Broadway. Between that and the fact that he also has worked on other films throughout that time, fans were shocked that he even had time to record a solo album, let alone release it.
“We basically had a week break during the most recent Brothers tour. When we’re on the road, we’re actually most inspired to get out and write new music because you’re on stage seeing how these songs are impacting people’s lives. It’s amazing to see music become a part of the fabric of people’s lives, and so you just want to make more,” he told People.
“Our life got really small and simple, and it was just the time I had with my wife and my daughter, some of these experiences in the city, and then just things I’d been wanting to write about for a long time that I was finally able to put pen to paper on.”
On the cover artwork of Sunday Best, Jonas is featured looking in the mirror where you can see his Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor on his arm, as well as a picture of three painted handprints that came from him, his wife Priyanka, and daughter Malti, setting the album up to be a true personal look into what matters most to Jonas at this time in his life.
“I really wanted the album cover to feel like you’re looking into my life. I always had this idea of looking in the mirror and just the questions we all ask ourselves every day — am I being the best version of myself today? Am I being hard on myself? Am I being nice?”
“I am a husband and a father now, and it’s a huge part of where I draw inspiration from, so that was important to include. Then it just happened that I was obviously wearing the Dexcom as I do every day. There was never a conversation about not having it in there just because it’s another aspect of who I am. It’s part of the DNA of my life and something that, I think, gives the person looking at this image a better idea of who I am,” Jonas explained to the magazine.
Jonas said that he’s really happy with the cover and the decision to have those particular visuals in the artwork, emphasizing how it creates awareness for something that is “really revolutionary” and has changed so many lives of those living with diabetes, including himself.
He then discussed how he was always candid about his diabetes ever since he was officially given the diagnosis at 13. At that time, many young fans, and even adults, weren’t aware of what living with type 1 diabetes truly entailed, and assumed that the young superstar was in critical condition, which is part of the reason he always wanted to create a space for open conversation regarding what he, and so many others, were going through.
“The conversation around awareness has always been one that’s evolving every day. The things that people know about diabetes, or don’t, are really revealing of the work that still needs to be done. I think back then there was just a lack of awareness, people thinking that it was critical and that it stays that way,” he reflected.
“Diabetes is a manageable disease. It’s important to keep that in mind as we talk about the fact that…there’s a way to live a big, healthy, and wonderful life with it, but there are still some people globally that don’t have access to life preserving and saving medication, and other technology.
From the moment I was released from the hospital, I was determined to get a real grip on how to manage the disease and live with it every day.
But then once I felt comfortable, which was pretty soon after that, to be able to use this, at the time, fairly small platform, but to use whatever platform I had to be able to speak about it and try to encourage others going through an experience like it or directly related to diabetes,” Jonas said in regards to when he was a younger and first going through what it meant for him to be living with diabetes.
“It became important for me to be a part of the conversation, and hopefully the next 13-year-old kid sitting in the hospital room feeling discouraged and alone, and having a tough time with it would feel some encouragement.”
In today’s world, the conversation surrounding type 1 diabetes and what it means to live with it has luckily become more mainstream with information being more widely accessible. There are also many other public figures that have opened up about it the same way Jonas has throughout his whole life.
“It’s been very exciting to see others come out and speak about their journey. It’s a big, beautiful community with lots of interesting stories, and we can all pull inspiration and encouragement from each other.
Role Model sharing his story is just amazing, and I’m happy for his success, and also he seems to be in great health, which is most important,” he told People.
Then, Jonas shared a touching story about how he’s been able to discuss his diabetes with his 4-year-old daughter, Malti, and how he plans to educate her on it more as she grows older. Part of the story also involves a touching moment he shared with a fan that’s helped him in these conversations with his child
“She’s seen the glucose monitor and my insulin pump. There was actually a fan on the tour who gifted me a diabetes coloring book. Basically, it’s an educational coloring book for young diabetics, but also for others to learn about not just the disease, but some of the things that someone might see at that age and not fully understand yet, but it just helped start the conversation.
I was really blown away by that, and I gave that to her to color, and she made the connections of the insulin pump or the CGM [continuous glucose monitor]. We’re always thinking it’s best just to be honest and transparent, and find a way to articulate it so she has the information and the facts, and is surrounded by love and care in the way that we communicate so that there’s nothing that’s ever scary or that might stress her out.
It’s a normal thing, and it’s just something Dad lives with, and that’s what it is,” Jonas said.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
