Joe Jonas wants to go from tween heartthrob to teen heartthrob.
It seems like a simple transition, but it’s going to be tricky.
As the cutest of the Jonas Brothers (sorry, Nick and Kevin), he’s endeared himself to a generation of little girls through addictive bubble-gum power-pop, made-for-TV Disney movies, “Hannah Montana” guest spots and truckloads of JoBro-branded merchandise.
On Tuesday, the 22-year-old kicks off his first solo tour with co-headliner Jay Sean and opener JoJo at House of Blues. The club gig will be a change for a guy used to packing stadiums — the Jonas Brothers played TD Garden in 2009 and Comcast Center in 2010.
“It’s definitely going to be intimate compared to what I’ve done in the past,” Jonas said with a little laugh from his home in Cali-fornia. “But it will also be nice because it’s a step I’ve never taken.”
Jonas’ solo debut disc, “Fast Life,” drops Oct. 11. Fans are now getting a taste of the singer’s slicker sound on his first single, the r&b jam “See No More.”
Unlike brother Nick, who recruited Prince’s former backing band in an attempt to get old-school funky on his 2010 solo album, Joe is shooting for modern Top 40 pop.
“I love Nick’s stuff, it’s incredible, but I wanted to do something a little more mainstream,” he said.
Nick tried to jump right into adult rock, but Joe wants to ease into his new sound.
He mentioned Take That boy band singer and solo star Robbie Williams as a key influence. “Fast Life” producers include Danja and Rob Knox, who helped Justin Timberlake’s music mature.
“As I grow up, my fans grow up,” he said. “Because we’ve grown together, I think they’ll be able to relate to the album. ... I’m really thankful for the Jonas Brothers’ fan base. Now I need use that fan base to help find new ears to listen to the new stuff.”
Jonas knows he has to pay his dues. Even if he spent half a dec-ade doing just that as part of the Disney machine.
After 19 club dates over the next month, he’ll join Britney Spears as the opener on the European leg of the Femme Fatale tour. “It’s like starting over, and I understand that,” he said.
He would love “Fast Life” to be his “Future-Sex/LoveSounds,” the four-times platinum album that made the world forget Timberlake was ever in ’N Sync. But if it doesn’t, he has a solid backup plan.
“If it does well, I could be out touring and promoting it for two years,” he said. “But it could be six months, or three months. But when it’s all done, I will be getting back with my brothers to make more music.”
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