Q: How is the album different from the previous ones? I know you worked with five or six types of producers-mainly R&B producers.
Jon: Maurice is no longer with us. I just want to make this clear. A lot of people think it was bad feelings between us but it wasn't. It was just part of growing and trying to do something different. I really can't say how this album is different. I think what I can say is that we're grown up, so I don't know if there's any distinct changes-there's just the fact that we've matured. And as we mature what's around us matures. Does that make sense? (laughs)
Q: You guys worked a whole year on this. Why did it take so long?
J: Well, actually, we were really burnt out. Our record company and everybody...I won't put the blame on them...we were just out there working, working, working. Always working constantly. We just really needed time off. We were just young kids and everything. It was just a different life being on the road and stuff. We just really wanted to take some time off and rest and get to know ourselves as people. You know. Nevermind this New Kids stuff, we just wanted some time off to be able to really step back and look at the whole situation.
Q: What did you find when you did reflect on it?
J: I found that I can go to the dry cleaners by myself. I can grocery shop. I can go to the bank. I can get on an airplane and make my own reservations. (laughs) And this is going to sound really stupid, but I can get dressed by myself. I've learned to iron clothes. It's been really good. I actually think it's been the best thing for us to be home and stuff.
Q: Has your lifestyle changed since you've become successful the last few years? Did you move into a new house?
J: Yeah, I mean, I think the way I live my life has changed, but I don't think my lifestyle has changed. Naturally, we've made some good money. Being a 24-year-old, I don't know too many 24-year-olds who are in the same financial position as I am. I think the finances have only changed. You know, instead of shopping at A store, I'm going to B store. But I think deep down in my heart that it hasn't really changed. Actually, me and Shari (a friend) were just talking about Janet Jackson, how she really grew up in the whole entertainment industry...whereas we grew up as young kids in middle-class neighborhoods. We grew up as normal average kids. I think that's really helped to keep us grounded. Everybody thinks my life is so much better than theirs. And I always say "Everything's relative." Everybody has the same emotional problems, everything's relative.
Q: Your life is more comfortable, I guess if you have money at least it gives you freedom. You just have to think about yourself.
J: Yes ... well no actually. I know a lot of people assume that I have a housekeeper, and I have this and that. I don't have that stuff.
Q: Why not though? I think there's no shame in getting those things.
J: Why have somebody else do what you can do. I love doing laundry myself.
Q: You still want to do those things because maybe you're a down-to-earth person.
J: Yeah, but I don't see having a housekeeper. Why should I have somebody clean the house when I can pull out a vacuum cleaner and clean my own house? You know, it's my house, it's my mess, it's my dirty laundry.
Q: I think the first thing people do who fall into money is one, buy a luxury car, two, buy a house and three, get a maid.
J: That's another thing. I purposely bought a car that was a cheap car. I purposely bought a cheap car.
Q: Why, just in case it gets broken into?
J: No, just because I don't see the purpose in buying an expensive car. I'm very unmaterialistic. My friends always tease me because when I'm at home, I look like a street bum. And it's so funny because when I was in high school I'd always try to look really nice and try to look perfect...I think when you don't have, you try to portray that you do have. So now that I do have, I don't worry about... I don't have to be this guy wearing Armani suits and everything. I know a good example. When my parents got divorced, I didn't talk to my father for six years. I finally called him and he said "I'm very proud of you. It's nice to see that your life is good and everything." And I told him "Yeah, my life is good but money doesn't buy love." Money cannot buy my father's love.
Q: Do you think the lack of relationship with your father affected you on an emotional level?
J: I think when I was a kid, yeah. But I think now that I'm grown up I can really see how his relationship with my mother was and stuff. As you get older, you mature ... with age you mature. So you can look back on things and accept them for how they were and why they were. With time passing, you can get a perspective on feelings that you had at the time.
Q: Thanks for your honesty.