OK Human
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = OK Human
| type = studio
| artist = Weezer
| cover = Weezer - OK Human.png
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2021|1|29}}
| recorded = 2018–2020{{Cite web |last=Bosso, Joe |date=June 29, 2021 |title= Rivers Cuomo: "We suppressed these impulses for many years... It was a real joy to open up that Pandora's box of evil guitar tools and go crazy" |url= https://www.guitarworld.com/features/rivers-cuomo-van-weezer |access-date=June 30, 2021 |website=Guitar World}}{{Cite web |last=Wood, Mikael |date=February 22, 2019 |title=Being Rivers Cuomo: Why Weezer's frontman put his life into a spreadsheet |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-rivers-cuomo-weezer-teal-album-black-album-20190222-story.html |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=January 29, 2021 |title=Weezer's 'OK Human' Album Is Here: Stream It Now |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9518036/weezers-ok-human-album-is-here-stream-it-now |access-date=February 1, 2021 |magazine=Billboard}}
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 30:27
| label =
| producer = Jake Sinclair
| prev_title = Weezer
| prev_year = 2019
| year = 2021
| next_title = Van Weezer
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{Singles
| name = OK Human
| type = studio
| single1 = All My Favorite Songs
| single1date = January 21, 2021
| single2 = Grapes of Wrath
| single2date = April 14, 2021
}}
}}
OK Human is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on January 29, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Featuring a baroque-pop influenced sound, inspired by albums such as Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), the album was recorded entirely with analogue equipment and features a 38-piece orchestra. The album was preceded by the lead single "All My Favorite Songs", released on January 21, 2021. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. OK Human is the first of two Weezer albums to be released in 2021, followed only four months later by Van Weezer.
Background
Work on OK Human began as early as 2017, when the band decided to make an album that combined rock instrumentation with an orchestra.{{Cite web|title=Rivers Cuomo On Weezer's Latest, 'OK Human,' And The Need To Riff (Or Not)|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/962124558/rivers-cuomo-on-weezers-latest-ok-human-and-the-need-to-riff-or-not|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=NPR.org|language=en}} Producer Jake Sinclair suggested that they hire a 38-piece orchestra and also gave Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo the album Nilsson Sings Newman to listen to, on which singer Harry Nilsson covered songs by Randy Newman.{{Cite web|date=January 27, 2021|title=It's not 'Pinkerton.' But Weezer's Rivers Cuomo gets pretty emo on 'OK Human'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-01-26/weezer-rivers-cuomo-ok-human|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} They had just finished production on the album when they got an offer to join bands Green Day and Fall Out Boy on the Hella Mega Tour for the summer of 2020.{{Cite web|title=Rivers Cuomo explains why OK Human is being released before Van Weezer|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/rivers-cuomo-explains-why-ok-human-is-being-released-before-van-weezer/|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=Kerrang!|date=January 26, 2021 }} This prompted them to start work on another album, Van Weezer, which featured music that would translate better to a stadium tour, but when the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the tour, they decided to switch around the release dates of the albums once again.
Cuomo first mentioned OK Human prior to the release of Weezer (The Black Album) in a February 2019 interview with the Los Angeles Times. He called the album "piano-based" and "very eccentric" and said that he had recorded strings for the album at Abbey Road Studios. In May 2020, Cuomo commented during a Zoom call that he estimated OK Human was "75% done", but that he did not anticipate the album being released in 2020.{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2020 |title=Watch Rivers Cuomo Cover Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box |url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/watch-rivers-cuomo-cover-nirvanas-heart-shaped-box/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Kerrang!}} The album was planned to be released following their intended fourteenth album, Van Weezer, but when the album suffered a year-long delay following the COVID-19 pandemic,{{Cite web |last=Bloom, Madison |date=May 6, 2020 |title=Weezer Delay Album and Share New Song "Hero": Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/weezer-delay-album-and-share-new-song-hero-listen/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Pitchfork}} the band hinted that they were shifting their focus to completing OK Human first.{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Emily |title=Rivers Cuomo explains why OK Human is being released before Van Weezer |url=https://www.kerrang.com/rivers-cuomo-explains-why-ok-human-is-being-released-before-van-weezer |website=Kerrang! |access-date=June 13, 2022 |date=January 26, 2021}} On November 17, 2020, the band announced the completion of OK Human during a Q&A session following a livestream performance.{{Cite web |last=Wilde, Bree |date=November 18, 2020 |title=Weezer Announce Completion of "OK Human" During Livestream Set |url=https://www.setlist.fm/news/11-20/weezer-announce-completion-of-ok-human-during-livestream-set-73d6aea1 |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Setlist.fm}} On January 18, 2021, the band announced a release date of January 29 with the release date of the lead single, "All My Favorite Songs" on January 21.{{Cite tweet |number=1351260787743092740 |user=Weezer |title=Hold on to your hard drives OK Human, the new album, arrives 1/29
"All My Favorite Songs" the first song from the album will be out this Thursday, 1/21 at 12am ET.
Limited vinyl will be available for pre-order on http://weezerwebstore.com then too |author=Weezer |date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=January 18, 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Deville, Chris |date=January 18, 2021 |title=Weezer Announce New Album OK Human Out Next Week |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2113421/weezer-announce-new-album-ok-human-out-next-week/news/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Stereogum}}
The album's title is a play on the 1997 Radiohead album OK Computer.{{cite news |last1=Kaye, Ben |title=Weezer Announce New Album OK Human Is Coming Next Week |url=https://consequence.net/2021/01/weezer-ok-human-release-date-next-week/ |access-date=January 19, 2021 |work=Consequence of Sound |date=January 18, 2021 |quote=Frontman Rivers Cuomo previously described the album (a clear play on Radiohead’s classic OK Computer)...}} The cover art was illustrated by Mattias Adolfsson.{{cite web |last1=Rashotte |first1=Vivian |title=Why Rivers Cuomo says now is the right time for Weezer's 'weird piano orchestra album' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/monday-feb-22-2021-rivers-cuomo-russell-t-davies-and-more-1.5922646/why-rivers-cuomo-says-now-is-the-right-time-for-weezer-s-weird-piano-orchestra-album-1.5923010 |publisher=CBC Radio |date=February 22, 2021 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
Composition
Musically, OK Human has been described as orchestral pop,{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/with-ok-human-weezer-dresses-up-its-pop-in-retro-70s-1846133122 |title=OK Human review: Weezer embraces its inner orchestral-pop bent |publisher=Music.avclub.com |date=January 21, 2021|access-date=February 4, 2021}} chamber pop,{{cite web|author=Konstantinos Pappis|url=https://ourculturemag.com/2021/02/03/album-review-weezer-ok-human/#|title=Album Review: Weezer, 'OK Human'|publisher=Our Culture Magazine|date=February 3, 2021|access-date=February 16, 2021}} baroque pop,{{cite web|author=Andrew Sacher |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/weezer-share-song-off-pet-sounds-inspired-baroque-pop-album-ok-human-out-next-week/ |title=Weezer share song off 'Pet Sounds'-inspired baroque pop album 'OK Human' (out next week) |publisher=Brooklynvegan.com |date=January 21, 2021|access-date=February 4, 2021}} pop, and pop rock.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 75/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/ok-human/weezer|title=Reviews and Tracks for OK Human by Weezer|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=March 7, 2021}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}
| rev2 = Consequence of Sound
| rev2score = B−{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/01/album-review-weezer-ok-human/|title=Weezer's OK Human Parlays Latest Gimmick into a Mostly Charming Set of Pop Tunes: Review|work=Consequence of Sound|last=Clark|first=Terry|date=January 29, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev3 = Clash
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/weezer-ok-human|title=Weezer – OK Human|last=Hagan|first=R.A.|date=January 26, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev4score = C−{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/music/music-reviews/weezer-ok-human-review/|title=Weezer clash with the orchestra on OK Human|last=Enis|first=Eli|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 27, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev5 = Exclaim!
| rev5score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/weezer_ok_human_album_review|title='OK Human' Proves Why Weezer Are Still One of the Most Interesting Rock Bands Around|work=Exclaim!|last=Hudson|first=Alex|date=January 27, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev6 = Kerrang!
| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/reviews/album-review-weezer-ok-human/|title=Album review: Weezer – OK Human|website=Kerrang!|last=Ruskell|first=Nick|date=January 28, 2021}}
| rev7 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev7score = 6/10{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/weezer-ok-human-album-review|title=Fourteen albums in and Weezer are still daring, but to a mixed result|work=The Line of Best Fit|last=Wisgard|first=Alex|date=January 28, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev8 = NME
| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/weezer-ok-human-review-2866150|title=Weezer – 'OK Human' review: an orchestral pop paean to much-needed connection|work=NME|last=Perry|first=Kevin|date=January 28, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
| rev9 = Pitchfork
| rev9score = 5.8/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/weezer-ok-human/|title=Weezer: OK Human Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Cohen|first=Ian|date=February 1, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2021}}
| rev10 = Rolling Stone
| rev10score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/weezer-ok-human-album-review-1119734/|title=Weezer Drop the Ironic Facade (Almost) on 'OK Human'|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=January 28, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
}}
OK Human received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 75, based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.
Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote a highly positive review of the album, stating that the album "offers a singular, complete listening experience unlike anything else in their catalog."{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ok-human-mw0003471882|title=OK Human – Weezer|publisher=AllMusic|date=January 29, 2021|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|access-date=January 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129160612/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ok-human-mw0003471882|archive-date=January 29, 2021|url-status=live}} Similarly, R.A. Hagan, writing for Clash Music, praised the album for being "more careful, sincere, and delicately crafted" than the band's previous two studio albums, Pacific Daydream and the Black Album.{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/weezer-ok-human|title=Weezer – OK Human|last=Hagan|first=R.A.|date=January 26, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}} Aaron Mook of Chorus.fm recommended the album, calling it "a left-field masterpiece that comes dangerously close to reaching the heights of the band's early career."{{cite web|url=https://chorus.fm/reviews/weezer-ok-human/|title=Weezer – OK Human|last=Mook|first=Aaron|date=February 1, 2021|access-date=February 1, 2021}}
However, publications like Entertainment Weekly and Pitchfork were more critical of the album. Writing for Pitchfork, Ian Cohen wrote that the album felt "as impersonal as water-cooler small talk".{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/weezer-ok-human/|title=Weezer: OK Human Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Cohen|first=Ian|date=February 1, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2021}} Eli Enis wrote for Entertainment Weekly that "the fleeting moments of authenticity are hidden beneath a pile of hokey one-liners, spotty vocal performances, and awkward arrangements that rely on the accompanying orchestra to provide all of the emotional depth", but still noted that "it's arguably the darkest and most personal record that Cuomo has written since his fans' beloved Pinkerton."{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/music/music-reviews/weezer-ok-human-review/|title=Weezer clash with the orchestra on OK Human|last=Enis|first=Eli|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 27, 2021|access-date=January 31, 2021}}
Other music critics were more ambivalent in their judgement of the album. Writing for Consequence of Sound, Tyler Clark concluded; "Chalk it up to the unpredictability of 2021; despite the creative and cultural headwinds into which it was released, OK Human lands as a surprisingly charming collection of pop tunes whose imperfections add to rather than detract from the experience." In the review for The Line of Best Fit, Alex Wisgard stated that "Weezer’s greatest misses may come from their frontman’s visceral desperation to stay relevant, but it’s a relief to hear them take chances and risk failure in such a new way. The album might just be OK, but it’s been a long time since Weezer have dared to be this human."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Rivers Cuomo, except "All My Favorite Songs", written by Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson and Ilsey Juber
| title1 = All My Favorite Songs
| length1 = 3:22
| title2 = Aloo Gobi
| length2 = 3:03
| title3 = Grapes of Wrath
| length3 = 2:50
| title4 = Numbers
| length4 = 3:20
| title5 = Playing My Piano
| length5 = 2:36
| title6 = Mirror Image
| length6 = 1:17
| title7 = Screens
| length7 = 2:11
| title8 = Bird with a Broken Wing
| length8 = 3:51
| title9 = Dead Roses
| length9 = 2:17
| title10 = Everything Happens for a Reason
| note10 = Instrumental
| length10 = 0:23
| title11 = Here Comes the Rain
| length11 = 2:27
| title12 = La Brea Tar Pits
| length12 = 2:50
| total_length = 30:27
}}
Personnel
Adapted from AllMusic.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ok-human-mw0003471882/credits|title=OK Human – Weezer|publisher=AllMusic|date=January 29, 2021|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|access-date=February 4, 2021}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
Weezer
- Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, piano, composer
- Brian Bell – acoustic guitar, organ, backing vocals{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/02/kyle-meredith-with-weezer/|title=Weezer's Brian Bell on What Albums to Expect Next|publisher=Consequence of Sound|date=February 12, 2021|last=Meredith|first=Kyle Thomas|author-link=|access-date=February 17, 2021}}
- Scott Shriner – bass, backing vocals
- Patrick Wilson – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Jonathan Allen – engineer
- Lawton Burris – assistant engineer
- William Carroll – engineer
- Zach Fisher – engineer
- Brian Fombona – engineer
- Pete Lyman – mastering
- Perry Margouleff – engineer
- Andy Maxwell – assistant engineer
- Branko Presley – assistant engineer
- Paul Pritchard – engineer
- Suzy Shinn – engineer, vocal producer
- Maureen Sickler – engineer
- Jake Sinclair – producer
- John Sinclair – mixing
- Rachel White – engineer
- Karl Wingate – assistant engineer
- William Wittman – engineer
- Lazaro Zarate – assistant engineer
{{col-2}}
Additional musicians
- Tara Helen O'Connor – flute, piccolo
- Keisuke Ikuma – English horn, oboe
- Pavel Vinnitsky – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Dan Shelly – bassoon
- Erik Ralske – French horn
- Anne Sharer – French horn
- Tony Kadleck – trumpet
- Ray Riccomini – trumpet
- Ryan Keberle – trombone
- Sasha Romero – trombone
- Lisa Kim – concert master, violin
- Peter Bahng – violin
- Ann Lehmann – violin
- Matt Lehmann – violin
- Joanna Maurer – violin
- Sharon Yamada – violin
- Jung Sun Yoo – violin
- Will Frampton – viola
- Joel Noyes – viola
- Michael Roth – viola
- Becky Young – viola
- Alan Stepansky – cello
- Rob Mathes – arranger, horn conductor, string conductor, woodwind arrangement
{{col-end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for OK Human ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Flanders|129|artist=Weezer|album=OK Human|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 19, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|43|artist=Weezer|album=OK Human|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 19, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardCanada|69|artist=Weezer|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 9, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|35|id=471945|artist=Weezer|album=OK Human|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 19, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Hungary|11|year=2021|week=7|artist=Weezer|album=OK Human|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 26, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland|54|M|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums|title=Irish Albums Chart: 19 February 2021|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 20, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|11|date=20210219|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 20, 2021}} |
| scope="row"| Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan){{Cite web |title=Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 7 |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/234?dspy=2021&dspp=7 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan |language=sv}}
| 13 |
|---|
| scope="row"| Swedish Vinyl Albums (Sverigetopplistan){{Cite web |title=Veckolista Vinyl, vecka 7 |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/216?dspy=2021&dspp=7 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan |language=sv}}
| 9 |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|32|artist=Weezer|album=OK Human|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 21, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|91|date=20210219|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 20, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|41|M|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/weezer/chart-history/tlp|title=Weezer Chart History (Billboard 200)|artist=Weezer|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 9, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardAlternative|5|artist=Weezer|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 9, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRock|6|artist=Weezer|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 9, 2021}} |