Tell Me What You Want (Weezer song)

Last updated
"Tell Me What You Want"
Weezer Tell Me What You Want.jpg
Single by Weezer
ReleasedJune 11, 2021 (2021-06-11)
Genre
Length3:23
Label
Songwriter(s) Rivers Cuomo [3]
Producer(s) Suzy Shinn
Weezer singles chronology
"I Need Some Of That"
(2021)
"Tell Me What You Want"
(2021)
"A Little Bit of Love"
(2022)

"Tell Me What You Want" is a song by American band Weezer, written for the video game Wave Break. It was released as a single on June 11, 2021.

Contents

Background and release

For the song, Weezer partnered with Funktronic Labs, the indie video game developers responsible for Wave Break, "the world's first skateBOATING game, inspired by arcade skateboarding classics". [1] A "Weezy Mode" was added to the game, based around the song. [2] "Tell Me What You Want" first surfaced as a B-side cut from Weezer's fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer . [1] It was created as a "stream-safe option" so that livestreamers on platforms like Twitch would not get copyright claims while playing Wave Break. [2]

The song premiered at the 2021 Summer Game Fest on June 10, 2021, with a live performance from Weezer. It was officially released a day later, [1] [2] with a vinyl release via iam8bit that was released in spring 2022. [4]

Composition

NME's Matt Doria declared the song "simmers with a sharp, metal-via-surf-rock edge", [1] while Stereogum's Chris DeVille said it "continues Van Weezer's hard-rocking, riff-driven aesthetic". [2]

The song directly criticizes the music website Pitchfork, with the lyrics: "This is a message that my manager wouldn’t approve/ After this song, he'll have a lot of cleaning up to do/ Don't be influenced by an office full of dorks/ I won't mention any names [cough cough] Pitchfork." [1] [2] Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound believes the song is a response to Pitchfork's 5.9/10 review of the band previous album, Van Weezer. He noted that, since about 2005, the website always give mediocre ratings to Weezer albums. [5]

Reception

According to Josiah Hughes of Exclaim! , "dunking on Pitchfork is something that has been happening since the music site's inception, making Weezer seem a little out of touch for bringing it up now." [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.

<i>Pinkerton</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Weezer

Pinkerton is the second studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996, by DGC Records. After abandoning plans for a rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole, Weezer recorded the album between the songwriter Rivers Cuomo's terms at Harvard University, where he wrote most of the songs.

<i>Songs from the Black Hole</i> Unfinished album by Weezer

Songs from the Black Hole is an unfinished album by American rock band Weezer recorded between 1994 and 1996. Intended to follow Weezer's 1994 self-titled debut album, it was to be a rock opera that expressed songwriter Rivers Cuomo's mixed feelings about rock-and-roll success. Its characters were to be voiced by members of Weezer, plus guest vocalists Rachel Haden and Joan Wasser.

<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.

<i>Weezer</i> (Red Album) 2008 album by Weezer

Weezer, also known as the Red Album, is the sixth studio album and album by the American rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008, by DGC and Interscope Records. Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both produced parts of the album, with the band producing a handful of tracks themselves. Like their 1994 debut, other band members contributed to songwriting. This is the first and, so far, the only Weezer album to feature lead vocals from all four band members. The album also features more musical experimentation in comparison to their previous efforts, especially shown in such songs as "Dreamin'", "The Angel and The One", and "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork and Beans (song)</span> 2008 single by Weezer

"Pork and Beans" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the group's 2008 self-titled album Weezer, also known as the Red Album. It was released to radio on April 22, 2008 and released in digital form on April 24. The track debuted at number 19 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, and spent eleven weeks at number one. The song charted in many countries such as Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future Islands</span> American synth-pop band

Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers, William Cashion, Samuel T. Herring, and Michael Lowry (percussion). The band was formed in January 2006 by Welmers, Cashion and Herring—the remaining members of the performance art college band Art Lord & the Self-Portraits—and drummer Erick Murillo.

<i>Raditude</i> 2009 studio album by Weezer

Raditude is the seventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 30, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records. The title of the album was suggested to Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson.

<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">Grimes</span> Canadian musician (born 1988)

Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has incorporated influences from electronic music, hip hop, and rock. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. She has released five studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud Nothings</span> American indie rock band

Cloud Nothings is an American indie rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States, founded by singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi. It currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz, bassist TJ Duke, and guitarist Chris Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> English singer and songwriter

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.

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

DIIV is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 2011. The band consists of Zachary Cole Smith, Andrew Bailey (guitar), Colin Caulfield and Ben Newman (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chvrches</span> Scottish synthpop group

Chvrches are a Scottish pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriving from the synth-pop genre, Chvrches also incorporate indietronica, indie pop, and electronic dance into their sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PUP (band)</span> Canadian punk rock band

PUP is a Canadian punk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2010, originally under the name Topanga. PUP's self-titled debut album was released on October 8, 2013, on Royal Mountain Records. In December 2013, PUP signed with SideOneDummy Records and re-released their debut album in the United States on April 8, 2014. The group was in the studio in late 2015 recording their second album The Dream Is Over which was released on May 27, 2016, through SideOneDummy. The band's third album, titled Morbid Stuff, was released on April 5, 2019. This Place Sucks Ass, a six-track EP, was released on October 27, 2020. Their fourth album, The Unraveling of PUPTheBand, was released on April 1, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney (band)</span> American indie rock band

Whitney is an American band from Chicago, which formed in 2015 and is signed to Secretly Canadian. The band was formed shortly after the breakup of members Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich's band Smith Westerns in late 2014. They released their debut album, Light Upon the Lake, in June 2016 and have toured internationally.

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

Weezer, also known as the Black Album, is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Weezer. Produced by Dave Sitek, it was released on March 1, 2019, through Crush Music and Atlantic Records, nearly two months after Weezer.

<i>Miss Anthropocene</i> 2020 studio album by Grimes

Miss Anthropocene is the fifth studio album by Canadian musician Grimes, released on February 21, 2020. It marked her first album in over four years, since she released Art Angels. It was officially announced on March 19, 2019. The album's name is a pun on the feminine title "Miss", and the words "misanthrope" and "Anthropocene", a neologism popularised in the year 2000 by Paul J. Crutzen that was proposed to denote the current geological age the Earth is in. The album is a loose concept album about an "anthropomorphic goddess of climate change" inspired by Roman mythology and villainy. Miss Anthropocene is Grimes' final album on record label 4AD, to which she has been signed since 2012. The album is darker in style than Grimes' 2015 album Art Angels, containing inspiration from the sounds of industrial music.

<i>Prey//IV</i> 2022 studio album by Alice Glass

Prey//IV is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alice Glass. It was released on 16 February 2022 by Eating Glass Records. It is her first collection of solo material since the release of her self-titled EP released five years prior. The album title and track listing were revealed on 19 November 2021. The release of the album was preceded by four singles, "Suffer and Swallow", "Baby Teeth", "Fair Game", and "Love Is Violence". To promote the album, Glass embarked on a 15-date tour of the United States, the Traumabond Tour, from the 7 September to 31 October, 2022.

<i>SZNZ: Spring</i> 2022 EP by Weezer

SZNZ: Spring is the seventh EP by American rock band Weezer, as the first of four EPs in their SZNZ project. It was released digitally on March 20, 2022, coinciding with the spring equinox. A physical version was released on CD later the same year, and a vinyl release is planned for winter 2023. The EP received one single, titled "A Little Bit of Love".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Weezer take aim at Pitchfork in punchy new single 'Tell Me What You Want'". NME. 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Watch Weezer Debut The Pitchfork-Dissing "Tell Me What You Want" At Summer Game Fest". Stereogum. 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  3. "Weezer - Tell Me What You Want" Song Info". genius.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  4. "Weezer Officially Release New Single "Tell Me What You Want"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  5. "Weezer take a shit on Pitchfork in new song for skate-boating video game: Stream". Consequence. 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  6. "Weezer Diss 'Pitchfork' on New Song "Tell Me What You Want"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-12.