this music video has a weird and colonial energy but there's books and a hot librarian in it
For some reason. Toto gave their blessing to '90s has-been band Weezer to cover "Africa". Weezer has had some very nice songs I enjoyed in my youth, but their "Africa" cover does not live up to them or the original. The Weezer cover sounds like their moms are making them do it. They're preforming the song with the sulky, adequate but lackluster energy of a student in a recital they didn't actually want to do but found no way out of. Even the instrumentals have the same meh energy. Whenever I hear the Weezer cover of "Africa", I wish I were listening to the original instead.
Deeply boring music video. Weird Al Yankovic is in it and they clip his wings and reduce him to dressing up like Stephen Colbert. What's the point of having Weird Al in your music video if you don't even use him properly!!!
You may argue that the point of a song cover is not to do it exactly the same, but to bring something new, even fresh and/or exciting, to the song. Weezer does not do that either. It's like they're a wedding band forced to play some song they think they're too cool for because it was specifically requested by the bride and groom. There is no zest or joy, and not being able to find joy in Toto's "Africa" is like if the sun came up and it was a dark sun, etc.The cover of "Africa" by the weirdly-named Ninja Sex Party is 100 times better. They have the energy and coolness necessary to do this song justice. Even the instrumentals (which are not identical to the original) are played with great energy and cheer. I enjoyed listening to this cover nearly as much as I enjoy listening to the original.
This is fine. I appreciate that they didn't go for the obvious
One thing I have noticed in the covers of "Africa" (the two above; I haven't sought out the no-doubt countless YouTube amateur covers) is that the bands covering them think that they need to sing the high part of the chorus the loudest. The high part is not the main part; it is a harmony. All vocal parts of the chorus should be sung at the same volume/force, or the high and lower parts should be but one step behind the main middle part, in a manner of speaking. The Weezer vocalists sing the middle and lower harmonies so low they are inaudible. When it comes on on the radio, I am forced to sing the middle part myself in order to at least attempt to salvage the chorus. It is very discomforting and keeps me from fully enjoying the song.
"Africa" by Toto : 5 out of 5 stars
"Africa" covered by Weezer: 2.5 stars
"Africa" covered by Ninja Sex Party : 4 stars
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