| Weezer | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2018 | |||
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| Length | 37:40 | |||
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| Producer | Dave Sitek | |||
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| Singles from Weezer | ||||
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Weezer (also known as theBlack Album) is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock bandWeezer. Produced byDave Sitek, it was released on March 1, 2019, throughCrush Music andAtlantic Records,[4] just five weeks aftertheir previous self titled album. It received mixed reviews.
Weezer frontmanRivers Cuomo first hinted at the album in April 2016, shortly after the band released their tenth studio albumWeezer (also known as the white album). "What could stand out more against 'White' than 'Black'? I think it's going to maybe be likeBeach Boys gone bad. I'm thinking of swearing, which is something I've never done in songs."[5]
While promoting the band's eleventh albumPacific Daydream in August 2017, Cuomo said "The original plan was the Black Album butPacific Daydream really came together. The Black Album is pretty much ready, it's coming."[6]
Cuomo first told Australian radio station Double J in February 2018 that the album would be released on May 25, later hinting at dates such as June 1 and 12 on hisTwitter account.[7][8][9] On October 11, the first single from the album, "Can't Knock the Hustle", was released.[10] A second song, "Zombie Bastards", was released on November 21, along with cover art and a release date for the album, set as March 1, 2019.[11][12] Two more singles followed on February 21, 2019, which are "High as a Kite" and "Living in L.A.".[13] Additionally, "California Snow" was released as a single for the soundtrack of the 2018 filmSpell.[14] On the day before release, three songs from the album premiered on the video gameFortnite.[15]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 5.1/10[16] |
| Metacritic | 53/100[17] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The A.V. Club | B−[18] |
| Consequence of Sound | C−[3] |
| Kerrang! | 2/5[19] |
| The New Zealand Herald |  [20] |
| NME | [21] |
| Pitchfork | 5.7/10[22] |
| Q | [23] |
| Rolling Stone | [24] |
| The Times | [25] |
At the aggregating websiteMetacritic, the album received a normalized rating of 53, based on 19 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[17]
Robert Oliver atDrowned in Sound gave the album a favorable review, stating "This is a unique addition to Weezer's discography that sees them preparing for the future, however bleak and overwhelming it might seem."[26] Aaron Mook also reacted positively, writing "The Black Album feels surprisingly genuine for the aging pop-rockers, brimming with new sounds, bold production choices from TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, and most importantly, honest reflection on how the world has turned and left the band following their return to relevancy."[27]
However, Lindsay Teske fromConsequence of Sound noted that the album is "not completely void of redeeming qualities", but also opined that "While it is absolutely no crime for a band to flirt with sonic experimentation, a disastrous affair can brew when the flirtation results in a body of work that is far more two-dimensional and hollow than what the band have proven capable of doing through their decades of previous work."[3] Additionally, a negative review fromExclaim!'s Corey van den Hoogenband, stated that "Weezer's latest is an utterly skippable collection that'd be entirely unremarkable if not for the fact it was released by Weezer."[28]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Knock the Hustle" | Rivers Cuomo[29] | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Zombie Bastards" |
| 4:10 |
| 3. | "High as a Kite" |
| 3:48 |
| 4. | "Living in L.A." |
| 3:38 |
| 5. | "Piece of Cake" |
| 3:16 |
| 6. | "I'm Just Being Honest" | 3:56 | |
| 7. | "Too Many Thoughts in My Head" |
| 4:03 |
| 8. | "The Prince Who Wanted Everything" | 3:23 | |
| 9. | "Byzantine" |
| 4:10 |
| 10. | "California Snow" | Cuomo[31] | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 37:40 | ||
Weezer[32]
Additional musicians
Production
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[33] | 24 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] | 103 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] | 143 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[36] | 56 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] | 96 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] | 18 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] | 82 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[40] | 73 |
| USBillboard 200[41] | 19 |
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