LOL remember when we thought Weezer were heading out with Green Day and Fall Out Boy on the Hella Mega Tour this year? Good times. Back when they announced that jaunt, each band shared a new single. Weezer’s offering, “The End Of The Game,” was the opening track from their upcoming album Van Weezer, which Rivers Cuomo has described as “back to big guitars. ‘Blue Album’-ish, but a little more riffy.” He says it’s inspired by the loud crowd reactions when he breaks into a guitar solo during “Beverly Hills.”

Weezer have a new song from Van Weezer out today. In a press release it’s billed as their first new song since “The End Of The Game,” but real heads know in the interim they smashed their treatment of ’80s-style power ballad “Lost In The Woods” from the Frozen II soundtrack, as any band with their ’80s arena rock pedigree should. Notably, Van Weezer is produced by Suzy Shinn, known for her work with fellow Frozen II soundtrack alums Panic! At The Disco. The circle of life! Wait, wrong Disney movie.

Anyway, today’s new Weezer song is called “Hero.” A mustachioed Cuomo previewed it for fans on Zoom the other day; it is officially not a Mariah Carey cover, despite Weezer’s known affinity for cover tunes. The official version of “Hero” arrives with a video paying tribute to frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19, who are, of course, heroes, hence the video concept. You get it.

“This one is for the stay at home dreamers, the zoom graduators, the sourdough bakers, and the essential workers,” reads the YouTube caption. In addition to the music video tribute, Weezer have partnered with Postmates to deliver dinners from Uncle Paulie’s Deli to workers at LA’s Good Samaritan Hospital this evening.

Watch the “Hero” video below.

Van Weezer was supposed to be out this month but will now be out sometime in the future. Pre-order it here.