Van Weezer

Van Weezer is the upcoming fifteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, set to be released on May 7, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records.

Van Weezer
Studio album by
Weezer
ReleasedMay 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)[1]
Recorded2018–2020
Label
Producer
Weezer chronology
OK Human
(2021)		 Van Weezer
(2021)
Singles from Van Weezer
  1. "The End of the Game"
    Released: September 10, 2019
  2. "Hero"
    Released: May 6, 2020
  3. "Beginning of the End"
    Released: August 14, 2020

Background

In February 2019, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo began working on new songs with a hard rock influence, in contrast to the pop rock and electropop sound that had been featured on the band's previous albums Pacific Daydream, the Teal Album, and the then-upcoming Black Album. In an interview that month with Entertainment Weekly, Cuomo mentioned that an album tentatively titled Van Weezer was in the works, and that it would take the band "back to big guitars". He remarked that when the band would perform "Beverly Hills" live in concert, he would perform a guitar solo that was not present on the recorded version of the song. "We noticed that, recently, the crowd just goes crazy when I do that. So it feels like maybe the audience is ready for some shredding again."[2]

The album has been compared to their fourth studio album Maladroit (2002), and is inspired by 1970s and 1980s hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[3] Cuomo would also state that the album is "Blue Album-ish, but a little more riffy."[4]

Release

On September 10, 2019, the first single from Van Weezer, "The End of the Game", was released, along with an announcement that the album would be released on May 15, 2020.[5] The announcement coincided with the revelation of the Hella Mega Tour, a 2020 concert tour featuring Weezer, Green Day, and Fall Out Boy.[6] On May 6, 2020, the second single "Hero" was released onto streaming services. The same day, Weezer announced on social media that the album had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and teased that within the week fans would be getting "surprises".[7]

The song "Blue Dream" debuted on The Simpsons episode "The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds", in which Weezer guest starred.[8]

On August 14, 2020, the band confirmed on Twitter that the album was delayed until May 2021, to coincide with the rescheduled Hella Mega Tour. A new single titled "Beginning of the End" released the same day for the movie Bill & Ted Face the Music.[9]

On October 6, 2020, the band announced that the album would be dedicated to Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen following his passing on the same day.[10]

References
  1. https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/weezer/van-weezer/lp
  2. Franich, Darren. "Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's Black Album and struggling with the success of covering 'Africa'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  3. Schatz, Lake. "Weezer Announce New Van Weezer LP, Share "The End of the Game"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  4. Matthew Strauss (2019-09-10). "Weezer Detail New Album Van Weezer, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  5. "Weezer's Next Album Is Coming Next Year, Hear New Song 'The End of the Game' Right Now - News". Rock Sound Magazine.
  6. Greene, Andy. "Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy Announce 2020 'Hella Mega' Stadium Tour". Rolling Stone.
  7. Bloom, Madison. "Weezer Delay Album and Share New Song "Hero": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  8. "Weezer debut new song Blue Dream on The Simpsons". The List. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  9. "weezer on Twitter - Van Weezer update". Twitter. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  10. "weezer on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
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