NEWS
Rivers Cuomo of the rock band Weezer performs to a sold out crowd during the Hella Mega Tour at T-Mobile Park on September 06, 202 1 in Seattle, Washington.
Xander Deccio/imageSPACE/MediaPunch /IPX/AP ImagesAs more musicians pull their music from Spotify amidst the controversy surrounding Joe Rogan, listeners are contemplating making the jump to alternate streaming services. There are a few options available, the more obvious choices including Apple Music and Tidal, but Rivers Cuomo is adding his own self-made app to the mix: Weezify.
“Tired of Spotify” the Weezer frontman wrote on Twitter. “Come on over to Weezify.” The only catch with Cuomo’s venture is that when he created the app last year, he filled it with the more than 3,200 demos he recorded between 1975 and 2017 — and nothing else.
Similarly to Spotify’s interface, Weezify offers a number of curated playlists for users to follow, or they can create their own. The library of demos is split into 12 bundles broken down by era. For instance, there’s “Weezma,” which holds demos made with the California band Ozma between 2012 and 2014, and “Patrick & Rivers,” which boasts music created with Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson between 1991 and 2012.
The bundles cost $9 each to purchase and play through Weezify, less than a monthly subscription to Spotify. Weezify also appears to be an outgrowth of another tech project Cuomo launched in 2020, a digital marketplace where he was also selling bundles of old demos.
Weezify arrives as Weezer plot their new four-part seasonal album cycle. “Spring is kind of like happy chill. And then we move through to dance rock, like a Strokes-style album for the fall, and then sad acoustic, Elliott Smith-style for winter,” Cuomo told Good Morning America of the project which plans for a new release on the first day of each season throughout the year.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
