Africa (Weezer cover)

Last updated
"Africa"
Weezer Africa Album Cover.jpeg
Single by Weezer
from the album Weezer (Teal Album)
B-side "Rosanna"
ReleasedMay 29, 2018
Recorded2018
Genre
Length3:58
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Patrick Wilson [5]
Weezer singles chronology
"Happy Hour"
(2017)		"Africa"
(2018)		"California Snow"
(2018)
Music video
"Africa" on YouTube

"Africa" is a cover version of Toto's popular 1982 song, as performed by American rock band Weezer. The cover was released as a single on May 29, 2018, and later included on Weezer's self-titled 12th studio album, nicknamed the Teal Album.

Contents

Release

In December 2017, Twitter user "@WeezerAfrica," run by 14-year-old Cleveland, Ohio resident Mary Klym, [6] tweeted, "@RiversCuomo it's about time you bless the rains down in Africa." The band released a cover of "Rosanna", a different Toto song, in order to troll Klym and those clamoring for a version of "Africa". [7]

Weezer finally released "Africa" on May 29, 2018. It was the band's first Hot 100 hit since "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" in 2009. [8] "Africa" reached number 51 on the Hot 100 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band's first number-one single in that chart since "Pork and Beans" in 2008. [9]

A limited edition 7-inch vinyl pressing was released by Weezer in July 2018 and sold exclusively through Urban Outfitters. The pressing was limited to 1,500 copies, with "Africa" as the A-side and "Rosanna" as the B-side. The cover artwork features a background of palm fronds with the tweet that inspired the song in the center of the cover. [10] [11]

Shortly after the song's release, Weezer appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with keyboardist Steve Porcaro of Toto to promote the single. [11] Toto responded on August 9, 2018, by releasing a cover of Weezer's 2001 single "Hash Pipe", after debuting it in concert a week prior. [12] [13]

Weezer included the cover on their surprise release of the all-covers "Teal Album" in January 2019. [14]

Music video

Weezer released a music video of their "Africa" cover in September 2018, styled as a parody of the video for their earlier single "Undone – The Sweater Song." Stand-ins for the band members perform the song on a soundstage, with "Weird Al" Yankovic replacing singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo, with his band members replacing Weezer. Yankovic had previously appeared onstage during the band's tour to perform "Africa" with them. [15]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [16] 33
Mexico Ingles Airplay ( Billboard ) [17] 42
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] 51
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [19] 19
US Adult Top 40 ( Billboard ) [20] 3
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [21] 5
US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) [22] 26
US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [23] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
US Adult Contemporary Songs (Billboard) [24] 47
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) [25] 23
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) [26] 10
US Rock Airplay (Billboard) [27] 6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer</span> American rock band

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Scott Shriner, and Brian Bell. They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.

<i>Weezer</i> (Green Album) 2001 album by Weezer

Weezer is the third studio album by American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 15, 2001, by Geffen Records. It was the second Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who produced their debut album, and it is the only studio album to feature bassist Mikey Welsh, as he left the band a few months after the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hash Pipe</span> 2001 single by Weezer

"Hash Pipe" is a song by American rock band Weezer. Released in 2001, it was the first single off the band's third album Weezer, and the only one of the Summer Songs of 2000 songs to make it onto the album, although "Dope Nose" and "Slob" were released on Maladroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island in the Sun (Weezer song)</span> 2001 single by Weezer

"Island in the Sun" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the second single from the band's second self-titled album Weezer, released in 2001. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, but producer Ric Ocasek fought for its inclusion. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching No. 31 in the UK and No. 17 in France. In January 2002, the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 ranked the song 7 in its 2001 countdown. "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog. In 2009, Pitchfork named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dope Nose</span> 2002 single by Weezer

"Dope Nose" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the first single off the band's fourth album, Maladroit. It was officially released in March 2002, though it had been performed live and in the studio during the band's 2000 summer tour comeback after hiatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Hills (song)</span> 2005 single by Weezer

"Beverly Hills" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the first single from the band's fifth album, Make Believe. "Beverly Hills" was released to US radio on March 28, 2005. The song features Stephanie Eitel of Agent Sparks on the chorus on backup vocals, performing the "gimme, gimme" hook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect Situation</span> 2005 single by Weezer

"Perfect Situation" is a song by American alternative rock band Weezer. It was released to radio on October 11, 2005 as the third single from the band's fifth album Make Believe, following "Beverly Hills" and "We Are All on Drugs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosanna (song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song. The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer discography</span> Band discography

The discography of Weezer, an American rock band, consists of 15 studio albums, two compilation albums, one video album, nine extended plays, 37 singles and 40 music videos. Weezer's self-titled debut studio album, often referred to as The Blue Album, was released in May 1994 through DGC Records. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and spawning the singles "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly", both of which were responsible for launching Weezer into mainstream success with the aid of music videos directed by Spike Jonze. It has sold 3.3 million copies in the United States and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming the band's best selling album to date. Following the success of their debut album, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo began piecing together demo material for Weezer's second studio album. Cuomo's original concept for the album was a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. Ultimately, the Songs from the Black Hole album concept was dropped; the band, however, continued to utilize songs from these sessions into work for their second studio album. Pinkerton was released as the band's second studio album in September 1996. Peaking at number 19 on the Billboard 200, it was considered a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, selling far less than its triple platinum predecessor. However, in the years following its release, it has seen much critical and commercial championing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undone – The Sweater Song</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Undone – The Sweater Song" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the band's self-titled 1994 debut album. It was released as their debut single in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Africa (Toto song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Africa" is a song by American rock band Toto, appearing as the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV (1982). It was released as a single in the US through Columbia Records in October 1982, the album's third single overall and second in Europe. The song was written by band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, produced by the band, and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Elliot Scheiner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To</span> 2009 single by Weezer

"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is a song by American alternative rock/power pop band Weezer. It was released as the first single from the band's seventh studio album Raditude. Initially scheduled to be released to American rock radio on August 25, 2009, the official release of the single to radio was moved up to August 18. The single debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart, and in the same position on the Alternative Songs chart. The music video features Odette Yustman. The song was first played live on August 23, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario at the Molson Amphitheatre. The main riff of this song bears a similarity to the main riff of The Jam song "Town Called Malice".

<i>Hurley</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Weezer

Hurley is the eighth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on September 10, 2010 by Epitaph Records. The album was produced by Rivers Cuomo and Shawn Everett, and, similar to their previous album Raditude, features songs co-written with songwriters outside of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to the Shack</span> 2014 single by Weezer

"Back to the Shack" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released as the first single from their ninth studio album Everything Will Be Alright in the End on July 22, 2014. The song was sent to radio stations and uploaded to Weezer's YouTube channel a day before the single's official release. It was written in response to the band's past several albums, with lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo wanting to return to their roots. The song received generally favorable reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the World (Weezer song)</span> 2016 single by Weezer

"King of the World" is a song by the American rock band Weezer, released as a single on January 14, 2016 for the band's self-titled 2016 album, along with a music video.

"Happy Hour" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released as the second single from their eleventh studio album Pacific Daydream on October 31, 2017. The song previously premiered at Beats 1 on October 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sober Up</span> Single by AJR from 2018

"Sober Up" is a song by American alternative pop band AJR, from their second studio album, The Click. Released as the album's third single, it features Rivers Cuomo, lead singer and frontman of American rock band Weezer, although certain radio stations instead play a version with band member Ryan singing Cuomo's verse. "Sober Up" became the first number one song for AJR on the Billboard Alternative Songs, when it peaked at number one on the chart in March 2018. Similarly, Cuomo had his first number one on the alternative Billboard chart as a solo artist.

<i>Weezer</i> (Teal Album) 2019 album by Weezer

Weezer, also known as the Teal Album or just Teal, is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Weezer. It was released digitally on January 24, 2019, through Crush Music and Atlantic Records, with a retail release on March 8. The album is composed of cover songs, mostly from the 1980s, making it the band's first covers album. It was announced and released on the same day as a surprise precursor to Weezer's thirteenth studio album, which was released on March 1, 2019. The album received mixed reviews, with some praising the self-aware frivolity of the project, while others criticized the arrangements.

"The End of the Game" is a song by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 10, 2019, as the first single from their fifteenth studio album Van Weezer. A music video for the song was released the same day, starring American rock band Cherry Glazerr, although they are not featured on the song. The band performed the song at Jimmy Kimmel Live! the same day the song was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero (Weezer song)</span> 2020 song by Weezer

"Hero" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 6, 2020, as the second single from the band's fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer.

References

  1. ↑ "Weezer's Cover of "Africa" Is Now Officially A Thing With It Charting In The Top 100 And Being Performed On 'Kimmel' / the NOISE". Bringthenoise.com. 2018-06-13. Archived from the original on 2019-01-20. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  2. ↑ "Meet the Hero Teen Determined to Convince Weezer to Cover Toto's "Africa" - Noisey". Noisey.vice.com. 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  3. ↑ "The Scoreboard: Weezer, Toto, Kanye West, Drake, Ariana Grande". Uproxx.com. June 5, 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  4. ↑ Rolling Stone Staff (December 14, 2018). "50 Best Songs of 2018". Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 7, 2022. Rivers Cuomo rocked his yacht straight into the dark heart of our collective pop culture consciousness...
  5. ↑ @Weezer (July 12, 2018). "A true meeting of the minds behind..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ McKinstry, Lee. "Teen Tweets Weezer Into Covering "Africa"". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  7. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (May 24, 2018). "Weezer Cover Toto's "Rosanna," Trolling Viral Campaign for "Africa" Cover". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ Goldberg, Benjamin. "Weezer's Toto cover is the band's biggest hit in a decade". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Alternative Songs: Top Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ Trapp, Phillip (July 2, 2018). "Weezer Announce Limited Africa Vinyl, But Good Luck Getting One". Altpress. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Weezer's "Africa" Cover Gets Vinyl Release". Pitchfork . June 29, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ Roffman, Michael (July 31, 2018). "Toto have never sounded younger covering Weezer's "Hash Pipe": Watch". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  13. ↑ Roffman, Michael (August 9, 2018). "Toto finally share studio version of Weezer's "Hash Pipe": Stream". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Weezer Surprise-Releases Covers Album". Variety . January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (September 24, 2018). "Weezer Recruit 'Weird Al' Yankovic for Video of Toto Cover 'Africa'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Weezer Album & Song Chart History". Billboard Mexico Ingles Airplay for Interpol. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.