"Island in the Sun" | ||||||||||||||
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Single by Weezer | ||||||||||||||
from the album Weezer | ||||||||||||||
B-side |
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Released | August 28, 2001 | |||||||||||||
Format | CD, Vinyl | |||||||||||||
Recorded | December 2000 at Cello Studios, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||
Genre | ||||||||||||||
Length | 3:20 | |||||||||||||
Label | Geffen | |||||||||||||
Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo | |||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Ric Ocasek | |||||||||||||
Weezer singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Island in the Sun" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the second single from the band's 2001 self-titled album Weezer. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, but producer Ric Ocasek fought for its inclusion. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching No. 31 in the UK and No. 17 in France. In January 2002, the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 ranked the song 7 in its 2001 countdown. "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog. In 2009, Pitchfork named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.
In late 2001, the band reworked the song's solo for their live show. In 2005, lead singer Rivers Cuomo would often open the band's encore by playing "Island in the Sun" alone on an acoustic guitar in the back of the venue they were playing. On some nights, he would crowd surf back up the stage.
The song is much lighter than the album's first single, "Hash Pipe". It is also a bonus track on some versions of Weezer's next album, Maladroit.
Melissa Bobbitt at About.com ranked "Island in the Sun" as the 12th best Weezer song, saying it "exemplified a relaxed Southern California spirit". It was named as one of the 12 best post-Pinkerton Weezer songs by The A.V. Club, where they refer to it as "...a reminder that Cuomo really does deserve Brian Wilson comparisons for reasons beyond being a hermetic weirdo with a solid grasp of pop songcraft". Emily Tartanella of Magnet considers it the most overrated Weezer song, stating it should be "retired" from commercials and radio stations. Tartanella describes it as "so laid back it's practically catatonic".