In the YouTube era, Weird Al Yankovic’s shtick isn’t so novel anymore.
The songs he spoofs on his 14th album ‘Mandatory Fun’ — ‘Happy’, ‘Royals’, ‘Fancy’, ‘Blurred Lines’ etc — have already been parodied on the web. But Yankovic realises that he’d be better off with a more timely release strategy, not beholden to the LP format. The new album is the last under his RCA contract and he tells the NY Post he’ll likely pursue digital self-distribution, Louis CK-style. “The album format doesn’t seem to be the best for my stuff,” he admits.
Still, ‘Mandatory Fun’ is enjoyable, especially on the first listen, and ‘Tacky’ (his remake of Pharrell’s chart-topper ’Happy’) is a highlight. The video features Yankovic along with comedians Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal, and Jack Black all dancing in garish outfits.
Not sure why there is no #PharrellHat cameo.
This is the first of eight videos for the album that will be rolled out over the next eight days. “Because what I do is comedy, it burns more quickly than a traditional album,” Weird Al says. “I like the idea of every single one of my videos going viral for a day.”
‘Mandatory Fun’ is released locally July 18. As always, the polka is the best part.
[This story first appeared Stereogum]
