Guitarist Jason Cropper was fired during recording, as the band felt he was threatening their chemistry; he was replaced by Brian Bell.

Weezer was supported by the singles "Undone – The Sweater Song", "Buddy Holly", and "Say It Ain't So", which were accompanied by music videos.

The album received critical acclaim and reached number sixteen on the Billboard 200, and was certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2024.

Weezer has been described as a fusion of "chart-angled hook-craft" with "roaring" guitar distortion, confessional lyrics and "unashamedly vibrant" melodies.

Andy Price of Guitar.com observed that the album's sound and aesthetic were "distinctly non-alternative", stating that the band instead "took their style cues from the DIY slackers of the lo-fi indie scene, albeit with a broader audience in mind.

[9] Although they performed future hits including "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Say It Ain't So", Cuomo said they struggled to engage audiences, who wanted to see grunge bands instead.

[11] This attracted attention from major-label A&R reps looking for alternative rock bands to perform on the same bill as That Dog.

[13] While preparing for the studio sessions, Weezer focused on their vocal interplay by practicing barbershop quartet-style songs, which helped Cuomo and Sharp feel more comfortable collaborating during rehearsals.

[17] According to the engineer Chris Shaw, the "overriding concept" was to treat the guitars and bass as a single, 10-string instrument, playing in unison.

[23] The album artwork, photographed by Peter Gowland,[24][25] features Wilson, Cuomo, Sharp, and Bell standing in front of a plain blue background.

[24] In 2024, the 30th anniversary of the album, Weezer unveiled a mural based on the cover art in Brooklyn, New York City.

[29] The first single, "Undone – The Sweater Song", was described by Cuomo as "the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door.

"[30] The video marks one of the early directorial efforts of Spike Jonze, whose pitch was simply "A blue stage, a steadicam, a pack of wild dogs.

[32] The final single, "Say It Ain't So", was inspired by Cuomo believing his parents split up when he was four because he thought his father was an alcoholic.

[55] Rolling Stone praised the album in its year-end review, saying, "Weezer's Rivers Cuomo is great at sketching vignettes (the Dungeons & Dragons games and Kiss posters that inspire the hapless daydreamer of 'In the Garage'), and with sweet inspiration like the waltz tempo of 'My Name Is Jonas' and the self-deprecating humor of lines like "I look just like Buddy Holly / And you're Mary Tyler Moore", his songs easily ingratiate.

[57] The Washington Post concluded that "Weezer alternates between being agreeably irreverent and merely bratty... 'Buddy Holly' is a pleasant piece of retro-rock—actually, it sounds more like early 10cc than any song the Crickets ever performed".

[66] Reviews of the album when its deluxe edition was released have reflected its rise in stature, continuing to be positive.

"[67] And Rolling Stone reiterated its original positive review by further describing it as "big, vibrant pop-rock that would inspire thousands of emo kids".

As guitar nerds, Weezer sought influence there but found true inspiration in forgotten bubblegum power-pop like Cheap Trick, Raspberries, 20/20, and The Quick.

[70] In a 2024 article commemorating the album's 30th anniversary, Mikael Wood of AOL wrote: Weezer [...] wasn't immediately hailed as charting a new direction for alternative rock.

But over the decades to come, the 10-track LP would end up shaping successive generations of emo and pop-punk acts on its way to triple-platinum certification and a spot on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Former bassist Matt Sharp attended, and Dominic Fike sang and played "Say It Ain't So" with the band as a surprise.