Songfacts®:

• The first single from Nick Jonas' second solo album, "Close" finds him coming to terms with his split from Olivia Culpo - Jonas and the 2012 Miss Universe winner parted in the summer of 2015, and he later took up with the actress Kate Hudson. Jonas said the song is about when you "can't open up and be vulnerable with someone."
• His breakup with Culpo changed how Jonas approached the album. He tweeted: "I thought I knew what it would be about… Then I had a breakup. It then became very clear what this thing would be about… And that I would need to dig really deep… S--t is too real sometimes… Reliving some of these real life experiences through this music is hard."
• This song is a duet with the Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo. The pair have a steamy dialogue where Jonas first opens up about wanting to get intimate in this relationship:
  
  I want you, babe
  Ain't going backwards, won't ask for space
  'Cause space is just a word made up
  By someone who's afraid to get too close
  
  Tove Lo is buying it:
  
  I'm keeping cool while you keep smiling
  Saying all the things I'm thinking
  
  They agree: It's time to get close and move this thing forward.
• The video was done by the Swedish director Tim Erem, whose other work includes Tove Lo's "Moments" and Rihanna's "Work."
  
  In the video, Jonas and Tove Lo are in a warehouse sitting on chairs that move them around involuntarily. At first, they repel each time the get near each other, but eventually they come together, stand up, and work their way into a frenzy of passion, with minimal clothing but plenty of dirt and sweat.
  
  This marked the first time Tove Lo interacted with another musician in a video; she says Jonas calmed her nerves and helped her through the process. "We were both covered in mud, bruised up, and bleeding by the end of the shoot - but still with big smiles on our faces," she told Entertainment Weekly. "It was awesome."
• It was Jay Z who made Nick Jonas realize that he should name the album Last Year Was Complicated. "I had a title picked out. It was called 'Unhinged.' It's one of the songs on the album," the singer explained on 97.1 AMP Radio's Mornings with Carson Daly. "And [Jay Z] said, 'Look, listen. As I've heard the whole body of work now and gotten to know you better, I don't feel like it quite sums up the story you're telling. So, let's just talk about this year of your life. What's it been like?' And I said, 'Last year was complicated.' And he was like, 'That's the title!'"
• Nick Jonas got close to Tove Lo when the pair performed the song on the April 16, 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live. He also sang "Champagne Problems" on the show. Nick Jonas previously appeared on the sketch comedy program back in 2009 with his sibling trio the Jonas Brothers.
• Tove Lo and Nick Jonas are pals, so it was natural for the American singer to invite the Swedish songstress to participate in the song and video. "Since we're on the same label, that's how we met," Tove Lo explained to ABC Radio. "And we've just been friends for a while. And when he was doing his record, he just basically asked me, 'Hey, do you want to be featured on this song?' and said, 'Listen to it, see how you feel.' And I listened to and fell in love [with it] right away and I was like, 'Yes, I'm in.'"
  
  Tove Lo added that the collaboration was a "very painless process."
  
  "We talked creative together very easily," she explained. "It was not, like, through a bunch of people; it was him and me discussing it together, what we wanted it to be."
  
  "He has a very clear vision," Tove continued. "And it was easy to understand and see, and I agreed with him so yeah, it was a very painless process. It was great."
• The song's music video played a pivotal role in bringing Nick Jonas closer to his now-wife, the actress Priyanka Chopra. During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Chopra spilled the beans on their early connection, revealing that her initial attraction to the pop star stemmed from his bold move of sliding into her DMs and asking her out after their encounter at the prestigious Met Gala.
  
  Curiosity piqued, Chopra delved deeper into the world of Nick Jonas, turning to the trusty tool of the modern era: Google. The first search result that greeted her was none other than the music video for "Close," a song that left an indelible impression on her. Unable to contain her excitement, she wasted no time in reaching out to the talented singer, swiftly sharing her phone number.
  
  Priyanka Chopra admitted she wasn't well-versed in the music of the Jonas Brothers because of her upbringing in India, but one thing was crystal clear to her: She wanted a date with Nick Jonas. The music video had cast its spell on her, captivating her with its undeniable allure.
  
  Now, every time Nick performs "Close" onstage for Priyanka, she confesses to a delightful weakness in her knees.