Editing Weezer (section)

===''Make Believe'' (2003–2006)===
{{Main|Make Believe (Weezer album)}}
[[File:Weezer 2005.jpg|thumb|Weezer performing in 2005]]

Before working on new material, Cuomo discovered [[Samatha-vipassana|vipassana]] [[meditation]] which became a large influence to his songwriting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Weezer's Rivers Cuomo on How Meditation Helped Him Find Music Inspiration|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/weezers-rivers-cuomo-meditation-helped-find-music-inspiration/story?id=37516442|access-date=November 7, 2022|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref> He decided to take a more personal approach to his writing once again. One song during this process, "The Other Way", was written for Cuomo's ex-girlfriend Jennifer Chiba after her then-boyfriend, singer-songwriter [[Elliott Smith]], presumably died by suicide. Cuomo said, "I wanted to console her, but I was confused and skeptical about my own motives for wanting to do so, so I wrote that song about that."<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 11, 2007|title=Weezer / Discography|url=http://weezer.com/discography/makebelieve.asp|access-date=November 7, 2022|archive-date=October 11, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011153000/http://weezer.com/discography/makebelieve.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Before recording material for their 4th album, Brian Bell and Patrick Wilson worked on their own projects. Bell's [[Space Twins]] released ''[[The End of Imagining]]'' which Rolling Stone critic, John D. Lueressen named the 7th best album of 2003.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=November 24, 2004|title=RollingStone.com: Outkast : Our Critics Top Albums of 2003 : News|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5935999|access-date=November 7, 2022|archive-date=August 25, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050825203219/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5935999|url-status=dead}}</ref> Meanwhile, Wilson's [[The Special Goodness]] released [[Land Air Sea]].

From December 2003 to the fall of 2004, Weezer recorded a large amount of material intended for a new album to be released in the spring of 2005 with producer [[Rick Rubin]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Vanessa|last=Grigoriadis|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/weezer_weird_world/page/3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716040125/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/weezer_weird_world/page/3|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 16, 2006|title=Weezer's Weird World|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 21, 2005|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> The band's early recording efforts became available to the public through the band's website. The demos were a big hit, but none of the songs recorded at this time were included on the finished album. That album, titled ''[[Make Believe (Weezer album)|Make Believe]],'' was released on May 10, 2005.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r738466|pure_url=yes}}|title=Make Believe: Review|access-date=May 30, 2007|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen|agency=AllMusic|publisher=AMG}}</ref> The album debuted at No. 2 on the [[Billboard 200]].<ref name="Weezer"/> Despite commercial success, ''Make Believe'' got a mixed reception from critics, receiving an average score of 52 on the review collator [[Metacritic]].<ref name="Metacritic MakeBelieve">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/weezer/makebelieve?q=Make%20Believe|title=Weezer: Make Believe|access-date=May 30, 2007|work=metacritic|archive-date=September 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004951/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/weezer/makebelieve?q=Make%20Believe|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although some reviews, such as AMG's, compared it favorably to ''Pinkerton'',<ref name="AMG"/> others, among them ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', panned the album as predictable and lyrically poor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mitchum|first=Rob|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8614-make-believe/|title=Weezer: Make Believe|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=May 8, 2005|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref>

The album's first single, "[[Beverly Hills (Weezer song)|Beverly Hills]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Dolan|first=Jon|date=March 4, 2019|title=Review: Weezer's Latest Hunk of Cali-Rock Malaise, 'The Black Album'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-weezers-latest-hunk-of-cali-rock-malaise-the-black-album-801787/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|location=|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months after its release. It became the first Weezer song to hit No. 1 on the [[Alternative Airplay|Billboard Modern Rock chart]] and No. 10 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]].<ref name="BMRC">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/weezer/chart-history/mrt/|title=Weezer Chart History (Alternative Airplay)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> "Beverly Hills" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual [[Grammy Awards]], the first ever Grammy nomination for the band.<ref name=Grammy2009>{{cite web|url=http://www2.grammy.com/grammy_awards/51st_show/list.aspx#31|title=The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners List|access-date=January 20, 2017|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704080423/http://www2.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/51st_Show/list.aspx|archive-date=July 4, 2010}}</ref> The video was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.<ref name="MTV 2005 BH">{{cite magazine|first=Tracey|last=Ford|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/green-day-top-vma-noms-95111/|title=Green Day Top VMA Noms|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 25, 2005|access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref> The second single released from ''Make Believe'' was "[[We Are All on Drugs]]" which peaked at No. 10 on the Alternative Airplay chart.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Sam|last=Law|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-weezer-songs-ranked|title=The 20 greatest Weezer songs – ranked|publisher=Kerrang!|date=August 9, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> MTV refused to play the song, so Weezer re-recorded the lyrics by replacing "on drugs" with "in love" and renaming the song "We Are All in Love".<ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kandell|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1837|title=Dear Superstar: Rivers Cuomo|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426222259/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1837|archive-date=April 26, 2006|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> In early 2006, it was announced that ''Make Believe'' was [[RIAA certification|certified platinum]], and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on [[iTunes]] for 2005, finishing just behind "[[Hollaback Girl]]" by [[Gwen Stefani]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Koch|first=Karl|title=breadfan, take it all away, never give an inch|date=January 18, 2006|url=http://www.weezer.com/community/news_comment.asp?ParentAssetID=1378551&ArtistID=479&Start=&FullStory=Y&type=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129185644/http://www.weezer.com/community/news_comment.asp?ParentAssetID=1378551&ArtistID=479&Start=&FullStory=Y&type=|archive-date=November 29, 2006|access-date=November 3, 2006}}</ref> ''Make Believe'''s third single, "[[Perfect Situation]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1511678|title=Elisha Cuthbert Takes Over Weezer — But Rivers Won't Have Any of It|last=Montgomery|first=James|date=October 18, 2005|work=[[MTV]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|access-date=January 11, 2022}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> reached No. 1 U.S. Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="BMRC"/> "[[This Is Such a Pity]]" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1528552/such-a-pity-youtube-pulls-homemade-weezer-video/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912071215/http://www.mtv.com/news/1528552/such-a-pity-youtube-pulls-homemade-weezer-video/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 12, 2014|title='Such a Pity': YouTube Pulls Homemade Weezer Video|publisher=[[MTV]]|date=April 12, 2006|first=James|last=Montgomery|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> The ''Make Believe'' tour also found the band using additional instruments onstage, adding piano, synthesizers, pseudophones, and guitarist Bobby Schneck.