From Fandom to Fretdom

Dear Weezer,

It is with utmost regret that I must inform you that you are in serious threat to being removed from my list of top five favorite musical artists of all time.  Today, I finally was able to listen to your newest album, Raditude, that was released back in November. I must admit that I was sorely disappointed.

This is nothing like you, Weezer.  I feel that we have had a close, meaningful relationship over the past many years.  I feel like I know you really well, and I know that this record is not you.  I know your sound. I know your style. I know what you are all about.  Each time I put on one of your albums, I anxiously await the alternative garage rock tunes to blare out of the speakers so I can enthusiastically sing and dance along.  However, this last album has you away from your roots and resembling a dancy-pop-rock-indie band such as Panic! at the Disco.

I am not saying that Raditude is a terrible album. I actually enjoyed it. It is not anywhere near my favorite, but I could still enjoy it.  but what concerns me is that it sounds ABSOLUTELY nothing like you. I heard the first lines of the first song and thought I had tuned into the wrong artist. Surely, I must have pressed something wrong on my iPod, because this is not Weezer. It sounds like a completely different band from a completely different genre of rock-n-roll. The last four songs, I must attest, do kind of, slightly, maybe have some original Weezer resemblence.  I might be able to justify saying the last four songs could have been you performing. Maybe. But it stops there. You sound like a completely different band.  Once again, not a bad band, just a different one. Not the band that I fell in love with many moons ago.

What has become of you, Weezer? What is going to become of us? our relationship?  Did you finally sell out to the record label? When Make Believe first came out, I must admit I was leary of your fate.  Yes, the music was still attuned to your roots, but I could feel you slipping away with every catchy, radio-ready beat. Now my worries have evolved into much bigger problems. You have grown out of your sound after all.  The record label was finally able to take you, mold you into their little figurine, and mass distribute you to millions for a large profit.  You succumbed just like the rest, didn't you? This is a sad day for me, Weezer. A truly sad, sad day.

I remember all of those good times we had together. I jammed to you in my car for countless hours upon hours. For several months, I listened to the Blue Album on repeat. It is still on my list of top 5 favorite records of all time. The entire album is good. I cannot pick a favorite song off of it.  I know every word to every lyric to every song on the Blue Album.  I even painted your epic symbol, the =w= (a W with double lines on the ends), on my toes at the beach one year. I threw up your sign on my hands frequently, like I was a part of some gang. This is true representing, true fan dedication. I loved you guys. To the deepest, most center core of my heart.

and its not like I still don't. Rivers, I subscribe to your Twitter handle! I have your tweets sent to my phone! I still am a 100% true fan of you guys.

so you must be aware that I am saying this out of sheer concern. For you. For your career. For your fate. and for your fans, the ones who have truly supported you from the beginning.

Please, return to what you truly are. Return to the Weezer that we all love, not the one that has evolved most recently. Be the band you have been. I really do not want to take you off of my list of top 5 favorite artists. However, if records like this past one continue to be produced, I really will have no choice.

All my love,

Shannon