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"Pork and Beans" is a song from alternative rock band Weezer's forthcoming album, Weezer (2008). It was released in digital form on April 24, 2008. It will be released in a physical format internationally on June 16, and in the UK on June 23. The track debuted at #19 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, the best opening there since Foo Fighters' single "The Pretender" debuted at #16 in August 2007.

This was written by Cuomo as a reaction to a meeting with Geffen where the band was told it needed to record more-commercial material. Cuomo remarked, "I came out of it pretty angry. But ironically, it inspired me to write another song."Jacknife Lee produced the track with the band in early 2008.

On April 15, 2008 KROQ world premiered the song live and fans' requests made it the number one song request of the night. According to Mediabase, the song has been added to several other alternative rock formatted radio stations since April 15.

Track listing

UK Retail CD / US Indie Retail 7" (Red Vinyl)

1. "Pork and Beans"
2. "Are Friends Electric?" (Tubeway Army Cover)

UK Retail 7" #1

1. "Pork and Beans"
2. "Love My Way" (Psychedelic Furs Cover)

UK Retail 7” #2

1. "Pork and Beans"
2. "Oddfellows Local 151" (R.E.M. Cover)

Reception

The song has been generally well received by critics and fans alike. Many reviewers were pleased with what they saw as a return-to-form to the sound of the group's earlier power pop sound, which was present on The Blue Album and Pinkerton. Pitchfork Media writer Marc Hogan gave the song a positive review and described the song as, "a catchy, self-referential rocker, with the buzzsaw guitars and big choruses of Weezer's glory days, and that familiar, self-assured lameness." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly also gave the song a positive review, "That chunka-chunka guitar hook is pure gold, so much so that I didn't focus on Rivers Cuomo's very clever lyrics at first." Stereogum was also impressed with the song stating it was a "sweet, savory dose of self-referential, self-deprecating Weezer rock...This stuff sounds very familiar in a good, good way."

The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts in only its 3rd week on the charts and has become their ninth Top 10 hit on this chart and 3rd Number One overall and is now spending its 3rd week at #1. It also represents their fastest rising single ever, reaching #1 after a mere 11 days after release. It debuted at #39 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it is currently at a peak of #30 and debuted in the Billboard Hot 100 at #84 with 17,000 downloads of the song on iTunes.

Music video

It was confirmed on the band's official website that the music video for Pork and Beans would be directed by Mathew Cullen of Motion Theory. On May 14, 2008, Scott Shriner revealed to Buzznet that the video for "Pork and Beans" will feature a number of YouTube celebrities.

On May 23, 2008, the video premiered on YouTube. It features many YouTube stars and memes, including Gary Brolsma, Mark Allen Hicks ("Afro Ninja"), Chris Crocker, Caitlin Upton, Judson Laipply, Kicesie, Tay Zonday, Kevin Federline (archival footage), Liam Kyle Sullivan, and Ryan Weiber and Michael "Dorkman" Scott, Daft Bodies as well as references to Canon Rock, the dramatic chipmunk, Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz's Diet Coke and Mentos eruptions, parody G.I. Joe PSAs, the Dancing Banana, Will It Blend?, All Your Base Are Belong to Us, Daft Hands, the Sneezing Panda, the Soulja Boy dance, a CGI Donald Duck, Charlie the Unicorn, and the Star Wars kid. The video shares some thematic similarities with the music video for the Barenaked Ladies single "Sound of Your Voice", which also featured multiple YouTube celebrities.

Neil Cicierega's Potter Puppet Pals were slated to be in the video but were left out due to problems with shipments of props. A mock-up of the Dumbledore puppet can be seen in the video nonetheless.

The video had over 1.2 million views in its first 24 hours up on Youtube and over 2.3 million in its first 48 hours.

Personnel

• Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals
• Patrick Wilson – percussion, backing vocals
• Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Jacknife Lee – producer

References

1. Koch, Karl (2008-04-18). "04/18/08 Triunfa Del Fjord". Weezer.com. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
2. Cohen, Jonathan (2008-04-21). "New Weezer Single Scores Quickly At Radio". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
3. "Weezer Make First New Album Track Available". Uncut. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
4. "Spring Album Preview". Issue #1050. Rolling Stone. p. 32. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
5. ^ "Weezer CD Coming 3 Weeks Early". antiMUSIC.com. 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
6. "Weezer: Pork And Beans by Spins This Week". Mediabase. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
7. http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3353344
8. "Pork and Beans By Weezer: Reviews and Ratings". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
9. Gresehover, Ehren (2008-04-14). "Weezer Return to Their Blue Period". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
10. "Hear It Now: Weezer's Single "Pork and Beans"". The Herald. 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
11. Goodman, William (2008-04-21). "New Weezer Album Out June 24". Spin. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
12. Ritter, David (2008-04-19). "Track Reviews: Weezer: Pork and Beans". Coke Machine Glow. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
13. Hogan, Marc (2008-04-17). "Pitchfork Forkcast: New Music: Weezer: "Pork and Beans"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
14. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (2008-04-17). "Snap Judgment: Weezer's Delectable 'Pork and Beans'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
15. "New Weezer - "Pork and Beans" (Full-Length Track)". Stereogum. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
16. ^ Hasty, Katie (2008-05-08). "Leona Lewis Holds Onto Hot 100 No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
17. Molanphy, Chris (2008-05-02). "Forever Leavin' Pork & Beans: Big Chart Moves By Summer Single Contenders". Idolator.com. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
18. Hasty, Katie (2008-05-01). "Leona Lewis Regains No. 1 On Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
19. Koch, Karl (2008-05-12). "05/12/08 the immensity of the pork and the bean". Weezer.com. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
20. Carlson, Nicholas (2008-05-24). "Weezer understands how to work YouTube: allude to these 24 viral videos". Valleywag. Retrieved 2008-05-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
21. Wallace, Lewis (2008-05-24). "Net Gorges on Weezer's 'Pork and Beans' -- but Will It Blend?". Wired. Retrieved 2008-05-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Official video on YouTube
• lyrics and video

• Weezer songs
• 2008 singles
• Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one singles