Weezer is an LA-based rock band that has received its fair share of criticism, praise, and in between. This band which piqued in the early 2000s, has once again risen in popularity thanks to social media’s obsession with debating the quality of their music. As a matter of fact, the majority of students interviewed couldn’t even talk about them without cracking a joke, fans and haters alike. Students across ILS have a variety of diverse opinions on the band– many adore them and their music, while others find their mere existence to be embarrassing.

Most students discovered Weezer’s music through their friends or family members, while some found it through the sudden uproar in Weezer-related TikTok memes, most of which arose after Weezer’s most recent concert.

“I’m actually seeing them this December, among other bands! I’m incredibly excited! I hope they put on a fun show,” said senior Gabriela Danger, one of the avid Weezer fans at La Salle.

“Sure, they have a ton of bad albums, but the ones that are good.. are GOOD,” emphasized Danger. 

“I genuinely like their pop-rock style of music as it is, and the fact that they have basically become a meme makes it even better for me. Yeah sure, maybe they’re not musically ‘the best,’ but I do thoroughly enjoy some of their music.” Danger promptly adds: “I’m a fan. And yes, I’m single.”

Meanwhile, sophomore Sofia Iovine said that she “wouldn’t want to see (Weezer) live, because they (stink).”  Iovine has incredibly strong feelings of dislike towards the band, declaring their entire discography horrendous. “Weezer is bad; their music is bad,” she said before adding, “This is an objective statement.”

Despite the criticism fromsome ILS students, a general consensus of the Weezer fans of La Salle is that the most popular album was their Blue Album (1994). One of the most popular songs on that album is Buddy Holly, which also seems to be the favorite among ILS students. “It’s very catchy,” said an anonymous ILS freshman, who further explained how much he loved the “sick” guitar riff. “Neowneowneobeow!”

“I’d say that most of their discography is an acquired taste,” said an ILS sophomore, who grew up with a passionate adoration for Weezer. “The song that I would recommend to first-time listeners is Buddy Holly, and I would say to watch the music video because it adds a lot of humor and adds a story behind the lyrics by clipping and green screening clips from the show Happy Days. The first lyrics also sound like they come from a rap song, but get a little emo.”

Another ILS sophomore, who also wished to remain anonymous, agreed with the previous quote. She described how Buddy Holly was her favorite song, as “it can get me into any type of mood.”

Meanwhile, a different anonymous sophomore dismissed Weezer’s attempt at lyricism by simply stating that her favorite song on their discography was their cover of Toto’s Africa, merely because “they didn’t write it.”

While discussion on the band’s general discography and the debate on whether it’s subjectively good or not reigns on, it seems as if many forget to consider Weezer’s previous controversies when forming an opinion on the band and its members.

Another anonymous ILS sophomore explained how her favorite album is Pinkerton (1996), and despite her strong belief that this is their best album, it does have extremely problematic lyricism.

“In the arguably most well-known song on this album “El Scorcho,” lead singer Rivers Cuomo makes references to “half Japanese girls” who “play the cello.” This is a basic example of stereotypes against Asian women that are very frequently propagated,” she explained. “The album in itself is also inherently problematic, considering that it is known that Cuomo wrote the album about a minor when he himself was an adult.”

Rivers Cuomo himself acknowledges the contentious lyricism included in Pinkerton’s songs, frequently apologizing to fans. At the same time, he explains that the themes were written to be controversial and “nasty.”  In an interview in 1996, he warned his fanbase before the release of the album, stating the following: “There are some lyrics on the album that you might think are mean or sexist, (…) but I really wanted these songs to be an exploration of my ‘dark side’ – all the parts of myself that I was either afraid or embarrassed to think about before. “You may be more willing to forgive the lyrics if you see them as passing low points in a larger story. And this album really is a story: the story of the last two years of my life. And as you’re probably well aware, these have been two very weird years.”

What do you think? Is Weezer as legendary as some make them out to be, or simply another trashy boy band? Is their lyricism relatable or downright creepy?  Check out the Blue Album and Pinkerton so you can form an opinion of your own.