(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To (3:29)

“(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” is the first single to Weezer’s seventh studio album Raditude. Rivers Cuomo told Billboard : “As a songwriter, I usually have to do a lot of revision to get the exact right tone. The first draft can sound too cliché or ironic or just be off, and I have to keep moving things around.” He added that he struggled with that on this song, “because the lyrics are very sweet, but I wanted to give it some edge.” (Source If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To Songfacts)

Initially scheduled to be released to American rock radio on August 25, 2009, the track leaked less than a week after the announcement, and the official release of the single to radio was moved up to August 18. The single debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart, and in the same position on the Alternative Songs chart. The music video features Odette Yustman. The song was first played live on August 23rd, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Reception

The song has received positive reviews, so far.

Jillian Mapes from the Billboard Magazine says:

On the first single from Weezer’s new album, the now-veteran band continues to channel youthful nostalgia, this time through references to the movie “Titanic” and jokes about meatloaf. The song’s upbeat rhythm recalls the ’80s top 40 hit “Walking on Sunshine,” exuding a catchy excitement that feels almost plastic but is still undeniable. The self-deprecating lines about being shy around women are quintessential Cuomo.