Weezer frontman
Rivers Cuomo first hinted at the album in April 2016, shortly after the band released their tenth album
Weezer (The White Album). "What could stand out more against 'White' than 'Black'? I think it's going to maybe be like
Beach Boys gone bad. I'm thinking of swearing, which is something I've never done in songs."
While promoting the band's eleventh album
Pacific Daydream in August 2017, Cuomo said "The original plan was the Black Album but
Pacific Daydream really came together. The Black Album is pretty much ready, it's coming."
Cuomo first told Australian radio station Double J in February 2018 that the album would be released on May 25, later hinting at dates such as June 1 and June 12 on his
Twitter account. On October 11, the first single from the album, "
Can't Knock the Hustle", was released. A second song, "
Zombie Bastards", was released on November 21, along with cover art and a release date for the album, set as March 1, 2019. Two more singles followed on February 21, 2019, which are "High as a Kite" and "Living in L.A.". Additionally, "
California Snow" was released as a single for the soundtrack of the 2018 film
Spell. On the day before release, four songs from the album premiered on the video game
Fortnite