The Family Business is the second greatest hits album by the American pop rock band Jonas Brothers. It was released on February 17, 2023, through Republic Records. The record was intended as a preparation for their then-upcoming sixth studio album, The Album (2023), and consists of seventeen of the band's hits and singles recorded throughout their career (from 2006 to 2021), as well as singles from Nick Jonas's solo venture and Joe Jonas's other band, DNCE.
Soon after the release of their fifth studio album, Happiness Begins (2019),[1] the brothers started teasing the release of new music.[2] On January 17, 2020, they released "What a Man Gotta Do", which marked their first single of the 2020s.[3] Then, on May 15, 2020, the Jonas Brothers released the conjoined singles "X" and "Five More Minutes".[4] The release of the singles led to fan speculation regarding a new album being released by the Jonas Brothers.[5]
On May 14, 2020, during an interview with Business Insider, Kevin Jonas commented about the new body of work they were working on, which still had no release date.[6] Eventually, the plans to release the new album were canceled due to the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the brothers pursuing other ventures during this time.[7] Then, on May 21, 2021, the Jonas Brothers released a collaboration with American DJ Marshmello, a standalone single titled "Leave Before You Love Me".[8]
Release
The compilation was released in preparation for the Jonas Brothers' sixth studio album, The Album.[9] It was made available on streaming services and digital download one week before the release of the record's lead single, "Wings", on February 24, 2023.[10]
After initially being released solely on digital formats, the compilation was subsequently also made available, exclusively for Record Store Day 2023, on November 24,[11] with 3500 copies being produced on clear vinyl.[12]
Plagiarism controversy
The digital cover for the album sparked a discussion on the internet after some users noticed some similarities between the cover art, and a promotional image for the CW's television series Supernatural (2005-2020).[13] It all started after a Twitter user posted a side-by-side picture, bringing some attention to the matter.[14] The discussion surrounding the subject was whether the band was copying the TV show, or simply taking inspiration from it.[13]
American actor Misha Collins, who portrayed Angel Castiel on the series, commented on the comparisons the show's promotional art and the Jonas Brothers' new album cover, and went on to defend the brothers.[15] He joked it wasn't plagiarism, but a "recycle", so it "helps the environment". The actor then congratulated the band for "doing [their] part for the planet".[16]
Jonathan Bailey of website Plagiarism Today wrote that both the phrase "family business" and the triangular position of the cover art are too generic to be considered either plagiarism or a homage to the series. Specially considering the band is formed by actual family members and that both the band and the show had their start in the same year (2005), which, for him, would make it unlikely for them to reference each other.[17]
The Family Business received a four out of five stars rating on AllMusic, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine calling the album a "generous sampler" that mixes both newer and older songs, that "serves as a comprehensive retrospective" of the band's catalog, even though it's not presented in a chronological order.[9]
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