The Jonas Brothers and artists who dont act their age

Weezer

Album: Self-titled, June 2008

Age-range at the time of release: Late 30s/Early 40s

Age captured by the album: 18

Evidence: Lead singer Rivers Cuomo is screaming Everybody Get Dangerous on the acts latest album, but it’s not a mid-life crisis that’s bringing him down. He’s simply reminiscing about living in his parents house and watching his friends toilet-paper houses. And Troublemaker goes even further, with Rivers championing chocolate ice cream and dissing his high school text books. And tossing in a Rogaine reference in lead single Pork and Beans cant disguise that the band is clearly stuck in high school. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 6:34 AM PT

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Janet Jackson

Album: Discipline,” 2008

Age at the time of release: Early 40s

Age captured by the album: Mid-20s porn star

Evidence: One neednt expect Janet to give up sexually explicit lyrics just because shes getting older. But theres a line between being sexy and silly, and asking daddy to come punish me crosses that line -- nevermind the heavy panting that serves as the songs rhythm. Indeed, Discipline seems to have a directive to out-sex any other diva to ever live, and one would think four decades of life would inspire something beyond asking to be strummed like a guitar. (Bryan Bedder / Getty Images)

Blink-182

Album: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, 2001

Age at the time of release: Mid-to-late 20s

Age captured by the album: 13

Evidence: Two years before the release of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink-182 declared that they wanted to act their age on Whats My Age Again? The cut was about the difficulty of growing up, and the band apparently abandoned any effort to do that by the time this album was released. From the juvenile title (say it slowly) to the pandering nostalgia of First Date, the album isnt about looking back on youth, its about selling to it. Just see Rock Show, in which the band members embrace their mid-20s by singing about a summer break from school. Thankfully Blink recovered and actually acted their age on 2003s self-titled effort. (Perry C. Riddle / Los Angeles Times)

Duffy

Album: Rockferry, 2008

Age at the time of release: Early 20s

Age captured by the album: Late 50s

Evidence: Like Amy Winehouse, Duffy is aping another era, in this case 60s soul. And its easy to get the sense that shes trying to sing as if shes got four decades of experience to boot, bringing a smoky, late-night feel to songs such as Serious and Warick Avenue. At the opening of Stepping Stone, she sings, I remember way back, way back when / I said I never want to see your face again. Way back in, what, junior year?

Related:

Grammys midway: 2008’s notable newcomers (Alberto Trevino / Chicago Tribune)