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Rivers Cuomo has uploaded an album worth of covers, mostly acoustic and lo-fi, on YouTube, in what remains something of a mystery to fans and music critics.
Most of the 16 unadorned covers appear to be recorded between 2018 and 2021 by the Weezer frontman, and many are just snippets between about 30 and 90 seconds.
Among the most unexpected are Cuomo strumming out segments of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” He also takes on Nirvana with versions of “Drain You” and “Lithium.”
Fans get a full-length rendition of André 3000’s “Hey Ya” and Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” as well as a near complete take of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” that features more accoutrement such as percussion.
Cuomo also uploaded recordings of Radiohead’s “Creep,” Post Malone’s “Congratulations,” Green Day’s “When I Come Around,” The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” and Morgan Evan’s “Country Outta My Girl,” which features Cuomo on Evan’s version.
The strangest of the lot has Cuomo humming with piano the melody of composer Robert Schumann’s “Traumerei,” a composition from the 1838 collection known as Kinderscenen, or Scenes from Childhood.
The 16 covers and the origins of their uploads remain a mystery, with Rolling Stone reporting that Cuomo hasn’t acknowledged posting the songs or given any context for his reasoning.
Some fans and critics have speculated that Cuomo accidentally uploaded the songs publicly, though the fact that the tracks have remained public for a better part of a day makes an accidental upload feel unlikely.
The Library of Congress recently added Weezer’s 1994 self-titled album (the blue album) to its National Recording Registry based on its “cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”
In April, the band unveiled “Shine Again,” their first new song in four years.
Weezer goes on “Weezer: The Gathering” tour this fall with support from The Shins and Silversun Pickups. Fans can get tickets here.
Weezer 2026 Tour Dates:
09/08 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
09/09 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
09/11 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
09/12 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
09/13 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
09/15 — West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
09/16 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
09/20 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcell Energy Center
09/22 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
09/25 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/26 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell
09/27 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ Xfinity Mobile Arena
09/30 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
10/02 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
10/03 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
10/04 — Raleigh, NC @ Lenovo Center
10/06 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
10/07 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
10/09 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
10/11 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
10/13 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena
10/14 — Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena
10/16 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/17 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/18 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
10/20 — Phoenix, AZ @ Mortgage Matchup Center
10/21 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
10/23 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
10/24 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
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