"Troublemaker" is a song that was originally released as an iTunes single from alternative rock band

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...

's sixth album and third self-titled album, ''

'' (also referred to by fans and the band as ''The Red Album''). It was released in digital form on May 20, 2008, as the second single from the album. It debuted the week of July 26, 2008, at No. 39 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

charts and peaked at No. 2.

Background and release

This song was originally planned to be the first single for the album, but " Pork and Beans" was chosen instead.

Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo ( ; born June 13, 1970) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Weezer. Cuomo was born in New York City and raised in several Buddhist communities in the northeaste ...

has stated the song, along with others from ''The Red Album'', were heavily influenced by rapper

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

and his "fun way of using rhymes." Weezer played an acoustic version of "Troublemaker" on the May 30, 2008, episode of ''Alternative Nation'' on Sirius Radio. The song was released as a downloadable track for the games ''

Rock Band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

'' (along with " Dreamin'" and " The Greatest Man That Ever Lived") and '' Tap Tap Revenge''. The song was also used for TV commercials for '' CBSs crime drama show ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, t ...

'', which premiered in September 2008. It is also used in the trailer for '' Fired Up''. "Troublemaker", along with "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived", appeared in the documentary ''Warren Miller's Children of Winter''.

Official remixes

These remixes were released on a promo EP: * Troublemaker (Azzido Da Bass Remix) * Troublemaker (Azzido Da Bass Dub Remix) (5:27) * Troublemaker (Tiny Evil Remix) (6:52) * Troublemaker (Richard Vission Remix) (4:05) * Troublemaker (Richard Vission Dub Remix) (5:37) * Troublemaker (Funky Monk Remix) (6:02) * Troublemaker (Baby Disaster Remix) (3:17)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Music video

Weezer fans were invited to take part in the music video for "Troublemaker." The music video (directed by The Malloys) took place outside of The Forum in Inglewood, California. It consists of the band performing the song, with shots of the band members and fans breaking

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

, such as "Largest Air Guitar Ensemble", "Most People on a Skateboard", "Longest Session of ''

Guitar Hero World Tour ''Guitar Hero World Tour'' is a 2008 rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the fourth main installment and the sixth overall installment in the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series. The game was launched in North A ...

''", "Largest Game of Dodgeball", and "Most People in a Custard Pie Fight". The music video was released on October 6, 2008.

Personnel

–

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty (musical), The Full Mont ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

Brian Bell Brian Lane Bell (born December 9, 1968) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band Weezer, with whom he has ...

–

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

, backing vocals * Scott Shriner –

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

, backing vocals

References

External links

* {{Weezer 2008 singles 2008 songs Weezer songs Songs written by Rivers Cuomo Song recordings produced by Jacknife Lee Music videos directed by The Malloys Geffen Records singles