Nick Jonas’ Transition From Child Star to Crazy-Successful Adult Artist in 10 Easy Steps

Nick Jonas has every right to be poppin' champagne. His hit single, 'Jealous,' just beat out Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' as the No. 1 radio single in the country (according to the past week on Mediabase). To celebrate this momentous milestone, we're looking back at Nick Jonas through the years: from his days as a baby on Broadway and the pubescent, flat-ironed times of the Jonas Brothers to the jaw-droppingly sexy artist he is today.

So how exactly do you go from mop-topped cutie to sultry solo artist? Here's our (slightly tongue-in-cheek) step-by-step guide on how to make the transition as smooth as Nick Jonas did. Crotch-grabbing necessary.

Step 1: Kick off your career on Broadway

Fetus Nick Jonas didn't just sit around, ringlets cascading from his head, waiting to be discovered. Oh no, no, no. The New Jersey native took those curls and his talent and turned them into a career, starring on Broadway in shows like 'Les Miserables,' 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Annie Get Your Gun' well before he ever hit puberty. Fun fact: His run in 'Les Mis' served him well, and he went from playing Gavroche as a youngin' to later portraying Marius on London's West End in 2010. Clearly, the key to success is to score not one, but two, featured parts in an overwhelmingly emotional musical about the French Revolution. Viva La France.

Step 2: Form a band with your brothers

Hey, it worked for Hanson. And speaking from the perspective of editors who literally lose their ish at the sight of three brothers in a band, the fans eat. it. up. With the trio of Kevin, Joe and Nick, the Jonas Brothers (the band) was born, catapulting the three shaggy-haired sibs into teen heartthrob status. But the guys weren't just eye candy -- they were also talented (and successful) musicians, writing catchy pop hits like 'S.O.S.' and 'Burnin' Up' (SO GOOD), scoring Grammy noms and two No. 1 albums. The worldwide success of the Jonas Brothers helped to mold Nick into the artist he is today, providing him with a platform from which to grow his solo career.

Step 3: Become a bonafide Disney sensation

With the squeaky-clean image of the Jo Bros -- purity rings and all -- came the wild success of the Disney machine. The brothers Jonas had been creating content for Disney since before they hit it big, but doing 'Camp Rock' (and later, their own TV series 'JONAS') was a whole different ball game, propelling the Brothers into superstardom across multiple platforms. Yes, for a time, Nick Jonas was livin' that Disney Channel dream/possible nightmare.

Step 4: Create a side project

Looking back, Nick Jonas' solo project -- Nick Jonas and the Administration -- was our first hint at his desire to go out on his own. (Not too surprising, considering Jonas was originally a solo act until his brothers joined him). Fronting this other band not only gave Jonas more opportunity and creativity with his music, but it also gave the world its first peek at Nick Jonas without his brothers, setting the stage for the full-on solo career that would captivate us all.

Step 5: Date a fellow pop star, or several

Talent radiating from your body like rays from the sun? A voice so sultry it will make grown men weep like little girls? Forget it. Dating a fellow pop star is obviously one of the most significant aspects of the child-to-adult star transition -- just ask Justin Timberlake. ('Cry Me a River' didn't write itself, you know.) Fortunately for Nick Jonas, he had that Disney hookup, dating both Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez (at different times, obvs). While we totally shipped Jonas and Cyrus and were sad to see that "first love" relationship end, it did give us 'Wedding Bells,' and for that, we are forever grateful.

Step 6: Know when it's time to take a break

The Jo Bros were only reunited for a year when they decided to officially call it quits as a band -- a split that was orchestrated by Nick.

"I initiated the conversation because it needed to be had," he later said. "We just reached a point where we weren’t creating the kind of music we needed to create to really progress. It wasn’t really healthy in that respect anymore."

That kind of self-awareness has served Jonas well -- after all, if he didn't speak up and make a drastic change, he and his brothers could be putting out mediocre music (not good for any of their careers) instead of landing the No. 1 song in the country.

Step 7: Show off those abs… and that bulge

Once upon a time, back in the ye olde days of 2013, Nick Jonas gave the world its first peek at Nick Jonas, Gift From God. Like a Greek statue chiseled from the finest of marble, Jonas flaunted his sculpted body on Instagram and millions of girls instantly became women. Of course, this was only a prelude to what Jonas would unleash in 2014 -- we're talking strip teases, Marky Mark-esque photo shootsand crotch-grabbing for days.

You know those giant, practically life-size metallic fans that every middle schooler used to speak into to make his or her voice sound like an alien (or was that just us)? Well, we basically had to get those installed at the PopCrush office in order to cool down after Nick Jonas dropped some serious trou in Flaunt magazine. Before Bieber did it, there was nothing but Nick Jonas bulge as far as the eye could see. Bulge in his hand, bulge in the mag, bulge awkwardly on our computer screens in the office… Not that we're complaining, of course.

Step 8: Stretch yourself as an artist

Thanks to his role in the gritty, MMA-centric drama 'Kingdom,' Jonas has taken on his meatiest part to date. Not only is his character pretty provocative (cut to this Vine of him having sex), it was revealed on the season finale that he's gay. Jonas, who has many gay fans, has stated that he wants to stay as true to the character as possible and "will do all that [he] needs to" in order to make him believable -- and yes, that includes gay love scenes. 'Kingdom' is no 'Camp Rock,' that's for sure.

As the musical and creative director of Demi Lovato's Neon Lights Tour, Jonas further pushed the expanse of his career, overseeing everything from wardrobe, lighting and staging to the live arrangements of her songs. And did we mention that he will also be a mentor on the upcoming season of 'The Voice' to impart his wisdom on the proteges? Nick Jonas: jack of all trades, master of them all.

Step 9: Put out 'Jealous' -- and then sing it with a gospel choir

Not gonna lie, when we first heard 'Jealous,' we were fangirling in the likes most normal human beings have never seen. Never before had we heard this kind of seductive sound from Jonas, and quite frankly, we didn't even know how to handle it. Should we scream?  Put the track on repeat on full blast? Discuss his soulful voice in such a fervor that it quickly becomes a fever pitch? As it turns out, the answer was all of the above, and we regret nothing. Of course, the kind of reaction that 'Jealous' evoked could only be matched when he came out with this, the Gospel According to Nick Jonas -- also known as Nick Jonas belting out the single with the help of a gospel choir. That one took us to church, both literally and figuratively.

Step 10: Change up your sound

And make it sexy as all hell. While the sweet musical stylings of the Jonas Brothers will live on in our nostalgia-tinged hearts ('WEDDING BELLS' 4EVER), we simply can't get enough of Nick Jonas' smokin' hot new sound. In all seriousness, Nick Jonas is rocking a serious Timberlake vibe on his self-titled, and 'Jealous' is just the tip of the iceberg. From the irresistible falsetto of 'Push' to the slow sexiness of 'Chains' (a personal fave and his next radio single), it's safe to say that 'Nick Jonas' the album -- and the person -- has sonically seduced us. Jonas may not be gettin' down and dirty to his own tunes, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world has to abstain.

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