Alpocalypse

Last updated

Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse.jpg
Studio album by
"Weird Al" Yankovic
ReleasedJune 21, 2011
RecordedSeptember 29, 2008 – April 6, 2011
Genre Comedy, parody
Length45:56
Label
Producer "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology
The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic
(2009)		Alpocalypse
(2011)		 Mandatory Fun
(2014)
Singles from Alpocalypse
  1. "Whatever You Like"
    Released: October 8, 2008
  2. "Craigslist"
    Released: June 16, 2009
  3. "Skipper Dan"
    Released: July 13, 2009
  4. "Ringtone"
    Released: August 25, 2009
  5. "Perform This Way"
    Released: April 25, 2011

Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It was the seventh studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. The album's first single, "Whatever You Like", was released almost two and a half years prior to the release of the album, and the single peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's final single, "Perform This Way", was released digitally on April 25, 2011, but failed to chart.

Contents

Prior to the release of Alpocalypse, Yankovic released the EP Internet Leaks (2009); this was an experiment in using the Internet as a way to release music in an efficient and timely manner. All of the tracks released on Internet Leaks would later be re-released on Alpocalypse. The album was preceded by a minor controversy after Yankovic sought Lady Gaga's permission to record a parody of her song "Born This Way". Yankovic recorded the parody, but due to a communication error was very nearly forced to leave it off the album.

Yankovic produced a music video for every song on the record. Most of these videos were animated, but a live action video for "Perform this Way" was produced. A deluxe edition of the CD was later released that included all of these music videos, sans the ones for "Perform this Way" and "Polka Face". Yankovic later issued Alpocalypse HD, a Blu-ray release which features all 12 music videos from this album, along with three videos from his previous album, Straight Outta Lynwood (2006). Alpocalypse was met with mostly positive reviews, and was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200, making it, at the time, Yankovic's highest-charting album.

Recording and production

Alpocalypse followed a five-year gap after the release of Straight Outta Lynwood . Yankovic stated that he had not set any firm date for release of Alpocalypse, and instead wanted to wait for the right time for its release, telling his record label that the album is "going to be out whenever there's a dramatic shift in pop culture – whenever that happens to be". [1] Five of the songs from Alpocalypse were previously recorded by Yankovic and released digitally during 2008 and 2009, "Whatever You Like", "Craigslist", "Skipper Dan", "CNR", and "Ringtone"; the last four were released with their own music videos. These five songs were later packaged as an EP called Internet Leaks (2009), with indications that they would also eventually appear on Yankovic's next published album. Other tracks on the album were recorded in January, May and October 2010. [1] Yankovic waited to release the album until he could cap it off with one final parody of a pop culture song of the moment; the song he chose was Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", which he decided to parody as the album's lead song, "Perform This Way". [1]

"Perform This Way" controversy

Although Yankovic is not required to obtain permission to perform parody work under United States copyright law, he sought to gain Lady Gaga's permission for his parody in early 2011, as he has done with all his parody songs in the past. [1] He was told by Gaga's manager that Gaga wanted to read the lyrics before giving approval, then that she wanted to hear a recorded version. After this was done the manager said Gaga denied permission in April 2011, which was a major setback for Yankovic, as he would have to pull the song from the album's release and prepare and record another song in its place, which would delay the album's release further. Yankovic, after spending all this extra effort (he had to work on this while performing an Australian tour, as well as put a family vacation on hold to meet the demands of Gaga's manager) did not want the song to go to waste, and instead posted it to YouTube and other music sites, indicating that he had wished all sales proceeds to go to the Human Rights Campaign charity. [2] Through Twitter and other social media services within the day of posting, Lady Gaga and her staff realized the artist had never heard the song herself and quickly gave permission for Yankovic to use the song, saying Gaga was "a huge 'Weird Al' fan". Yankovic was able to set the date of Alpocalypse's release by the end of that day, and claimed that "Twitter saved my album" based on the rapid turnaround by his fans and Lady Gaga. [3]

Composition

The album's opening track, "Perform This Way", is a parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga (pictured). The Monster Ball - Poker Face revamped2-tweak.jpg
The album's opening track, "Perform This Way", is a parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga (pictured).

The album's opening track, "Perform This Way", is a parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. [4] The lyrics are told from the point of view of Gaga, and describe her performance style and fashion sense. The song's associated music video shows Yankovic's face superimposed on a female dancer, dancing and performing in many outfits that parody those worn by Gaga or original creations inspired by the artist. [5]

"CNR" is a style parody of the White Stripes, in particular borrowing heavily from "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground". [4] [6] The song's lyrics are about superhuman feats that Charles Nelson Reilly could accomplish, similar to Chuck Norris facts. The song's end is also very similar to the chorus of the song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim". The video, created by JibJab, animates the song's lyrics using JibJab employees as actors against a green screen, interspersed with shots of Yankovic and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz performing on a White Stripes-inspired red-and-white set, dressed as Jack White and Meg White, respectively. [6] [7] [8] In a first for any major recording artist, users of JibJab's web site had the option of including themselves in the music video. [9]

The third track on the album, "TMZ", which is a parody of "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift, [4] [10] is about celebrities whose failings, no matter how minor, appear on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com. The music video, by Bill Plympton, is about a female celebrity whose bare buttocks are photographed by a TMZ paparazzo and then appear everywhere she goes. Voice actor and comedian Tom Kenny is featured as a voice shouting out various tabloid headlines during an instrumental solo. [11] Yankovic performed the song on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on February 9, 2012. [12]

"Skipper Dan" is a style parody of Weezer. [4] [13] The lyrics describe a man who, despite having a fine arts degree, is forced to have a mundane job as a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Yankovic was inspired to write the song after going on the ride with his family, during which the guide "offhandedly referred to his failed acting career". [14] Yankovic hit upon this idea and developed the character of the narrator to write the song along. [14] Yankovic has stated that actual skippers on the Jungle Cruise ride have responded positively to this song. [14] The music video was created by Divya Srinivasan. [15] [16] In live performance, Yankovic wears an authentic Jungle Cruise uniform.

The fifth track on the album, "Polka Face", [17] is a polka medley that includes the following songs: "Liechtensteiner Polka", "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, "Womanizer" by Britney Spears, "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Kesha, "Day 'n' Nite" by Kid Cudi, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum, "Baby" by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, "So What" by Pink, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, "Fireflies" by Owl City, "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain, "Replay" by Iyaz, "Down" by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne, "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris, "The Tick Tock Polka" by Frankie Yankovic, "Tik Tok" by Kesha, and "Whatever's Left Over Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. [18]

"Craigslist" is a style parody of the Doors. [19] The lyrics mimic listings on Craigslist. Keyboard work was performed by former Doors member Ray Manzarek. A low-budget video of Yankovic dressed as Jim Morrison with art-house and stock footage effects was produced by Liam Lynch.

The seventh track on the album, "Party in the CIA" is a parody of "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus [4] [10] The song is about a CIA operative and all the missions he goes on, including covert assassination attempts and torturing "the folks [The CIA] don't like." [20] Yankovic recognized that the original "Party in the U.S.A." was a sensational hit, and sought to find a topic to contrast the "pop, bubblegum-y fluff" of the original song. [14] It has a music video animated by a team led by Roque Ballesteros, the group responsible for Happy Tree Friends. [4] Yankovic sought this team, believing their dark comedic work on "Happy Tree Friends" matched well with his lyrics for "Party in the CIA". [14]

The eighth track on the album, "Ringtone" is a style parody of Queen. [21] The lyrics are about the downsides of having an annoying cell phone ringtone. The song has an associated music video created by SuperNews!, which premiered August 21, 2009. [22]

The ninth track on the album, "Another Tattoo", [23] is a parody of "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars. [4] [10] The song is about a person who keeps getting more and more bizarre tattoos. The video was made by Augenblick Studios and consists of showing a man's tattoos.

The tenth track on the album, "If That Isn't Love", is a style parody of Hanson, [4] [24] with Taylor Hanson on piano. The song is about all of the extremely unromantic and sometimes misguided things that the singer does to show his love for his significant other, such as "let you warm your freezing hands inside my buttcrack." The music video was animated and directed by Brian Frisk.

The eleventh track on the album, "Whatever You Like", is a parody of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like". [25] The song is about a man who woos his girlfriend amid financial hardships. A video was made in 2010 by Cris Shapan.

The final track on the album, "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me", [23] is a style parody of the work of Jim Steinman. [4] The song is a diatribe against someone sending the narrator useless junk emails. The music video is a kinetic typography representation of the lyrics made by Koos Dekker.

Title and artwork

The name Alpocalypse is a play on words that Yankovic had listed in a notebook with other potential album titles. It was chosen to parody recent public fears of an apocalypse, such as the May 2011 end times predictions and the 2012 doomsday predictions: "I figured that I might as well do my apocalypse-themed album before the actual apocalypse because I really don't think people are gonna be buying CDs at the end of the world," Yankovic stated. [26] The title is tied to the album's cover art, a parody image depicting a happily waving Yankovic as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. [26] He rides the Black Horse, generally understood as Famine, which Yankovic attributed to "all the songs I had written about food in the '80s". [27]

Visuals

Yankovic created music videos for every song on the album. At the time of the album's release, videos for all but two of the songs were included with the physical DVD and deluxe downloadable version of the album. A live-action video for "Perform This Way" was released a day prior to the release of the album, while a video for the polka medley, "Polka Face", was slated to be released in late July. It was finally released in late September 2011 on Comedy Central's Jokes.com. [28] The polka medley video, primarily animated but featuring some live-action takes, is the first time that Yankovic has created a video for his traditional polka medleys. [29] Yankovic later released Alpocalypse HD, which features all 12 music videos on Blu-ray, along with three from his previous album Straight Outta Lynwood.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 70/100 [30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [31]
The A.V. Club B+ [32]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [33]
No Ripcord8/10 [34]
IGN 8.5/10 [35]
Billboard positive [13]
PopCrushStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [36]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [37]

Alpocalypse has received moderately favorable reviews from critics. Allmusic's David Jeffries rated the album three-and-a-half out of five stars, declaring that the album "fits the Yankovic album template splendidly, offering a great gut busters-to-groaners ratio". Although he pointed out that "five of these tracks are repeated from the Internet Leaks EP", he concluded by stating that "Al remains the undisputed king of the parody song." [31] Matt Wild, writing for the entertainment newspaper The A.V. Club , rated it a B+, explaining that "Yankovic once again goofs on an increasingly throwaway pop landscape, and barely manages to keep up." However, he stated that it "is the most enjoyable collection of Yankovic tunes since 1996's Bad Hair Day." [32] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard gave it a positive review. He declared that its songs "will still be examples of highly intelligent musical comedy" over time, and that the album "is essentially the same kind of album Yankovic has been making for 20 years". Although he stated that "the parodies of specific songs are a bit stronger than the originals this time out", he also said that "the laughs remain just as consistent as they've always been." [13]

Scott Shetler, of music news website PopCrush, rated it four out of five stars. He reviewed the album's songs individually. He called "Perform This Way" "[an] impressive way to kick off the album." Although he stated that "Skipper Dan" was "a strikeout" and that "the story is actually kind of a bummer", and that "Party in the CIA" "doesn't have the same irresistible vibe of Miley [Cyrus]'s original", he concluded by declaring that the album as a whole "is one of the better records Weird Al has made in recent years." [24] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone , however, gave it a negative review, calling it a "batch of fish in a barrel" and stating that "the jokes don't always relieve the earworm annoyingness of the Xeroxed tunes." [36]

Accolades

The album was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. [38]

Commercial performance

Alpocalypse debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 9, [39] Yankovic's highest chart position at the time, and managed to sell 44,000 copies in its first week. [39] [40] During its second week, the album dropped to number 44, selling 10,353 copies. [41] As of August 2014, the album has sold 139,000 copies. [42]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Parody ofLength
1."Perform This Way" Stefani Germanotta, Jeppe Laursen, Paul Blair, Fernando Garibay, Alfred Yankovic "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga2:54
2."CNR"YankovicStyle parody of The White Stripes [4] 3:21
3."TMZ" Taylor Swift, Liz Rose, Yankovic"You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift3:40
4."Skipper Dan"YankovicStyle parody of Weezer [4] 4:01
5."Polka Face"Various
A polka medley including:
4:47
6."Craigslist"YankovicStyle parody of The Doors [4] 4:53
7."Party in the CIA" Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, Jessica Cornish, Yankovic"Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus 2:56
8."Ringtone"YankovicStyle parody of Queen [4] 3:24
9."Another Tattoo" Bobby Simmons Jr., Peter Hernandez, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Yankovic"Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars 2:49
10."If That Isn't Love"YankovicStyle parody of Hanson [4] 3:48
11."Whatever You Like" Clifford Harris Jr., James Scheffer, David Siegel, Yankovic"Whatever You Like" by T.I.3:41
12."Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me"YankovicStyle parody of Jim Steinman [4] 5:42
Total length:45:56

DVD

The deluxe edition of Alpocalypse included a DVD with the following music videos:

  1. "CNR": animated and directed by JibJab.com
  2. "TMZ": animated and directed by Bill Plympton. Production Supervisor: Desiree Stavracos/Colorist: Lindsay Woods. Executive Producer: Ron Diamond, Acme Filmworks
  3. "Skipper Dan": animated and directed by Divya Srinivasan
  4. "Craigslist": directed by Liam Lynch
  5. "Party in the CIA": directed by Roque Ballesteros. Produced by Julie Moskowits & Corrine Wong for Ghostbot, Inc. Art Director: Roman Laney/Animators: Sam Chi, Tony Cliff, Alan Lau, Kevin Navarro & Brad Rau/Assistant Animators: Jamaica Dyer & Kris Toscanini
  6. "Ringtone": directed by Josh Faure-Brac for Current TV's SuperNews!/Lead Animator: Steven K.L. Olson
  7. "Another Tattoo": animated and directed by Augenblick Studios
  8. "If That Isn't Love": animated and directed by Brian Frisk
  9. "Whatever You Like": animated and directed Cris Shapan
  10. "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me": animated and directed by Koos Dekker

Personnel

Adapted from the Alpocalypse liner notes and the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website. [4] [43]

Charts

Weekly

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Australian Albums Charts [44] 28
Canadian Albums Chart [45] 13
US Billboard 200 [46] 9
US Billboard Top Comedy Albums [47] 1

Year end

Chart (2011)Position
US Top Comedy Albums (Billboard) [48] 2
Chart (2012)Position
US Top Comedy Albums (Billboard) [49] 7

Related Research Articles

<i>Poodle Hat</i> 2003 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Poodle Hat is the eleventh studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on May 20, 2003. It was the fifth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop of the early-2000s. The album's lead single, "Couch Potato", is a parody of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. The single failed to chart, although the album's song "eBay" eventually peaked at 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles in 2007.

<i>Bad Hair Day</i> 1996 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Bad Hair Day is the ninth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on March 12, 1996. It was Yankovic's last studio album for the Scotti Brothers label before it was purchased by Volcano Entertainment in 1999. The album produced an array of hit comedy singles; lead single "Amish Paradise", which lampoons both Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" and the Amish lifestyle, charted at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Gump", which parodies "Lump" by the Presidents of the United States of America and the movie Forrest Gump, reached at No. 102.

<i>Running with Scissors</i> ("Weird Al" Yankovic album) 1999 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Running with Scissors is the tenth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 29, 1999. It was the fourth studio album self-produced by Yankovic, and his first album for Volcano Records after its acquisition of Scotti Brothers. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the late 1990s, largely targeting alternative rock and hip-hop. The album's lead single, "The Saga Begins", however, was a parody of the 1971 single "American Pie" by Don McLean, and it recounts the plot of the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which was released around the same time. None of the album's singles charted domestically, although "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi", a parody of "Pretty Fly " by the Offspring, charted at number 67 in Australia.

<i>Alapalooza</i> 1993 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Alapalooza is the eighth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1993. By the completion of his previous album, Off the Deep End, Yankovic had already written all of the original songs that he planned to use on his next release. This new album, which would eventually be titled Alapalooza in reference to the music festival Lollapalooza, consisted of seven original songs and five parodies. It produced three parody singles: "Jurassic Park", "Bedrock Anthem", and "Achy Breaky Song". "Jurassic Park" was a top five hit on the Canadian magazine The Record's single chart.

<i>Off the Deep End</i> 1992 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's 1989 film UHF. Off the Deep End and its lead single "Smells Like Nirvana" helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after a lull following his last hit single, "Fat", in 1988.

<i>UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff</i> 1989 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff is the sixth studio album and soundtrack album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on July 18, 1989. The album is the final of Yankovic's to be produced by former McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between December 1988 and May 1989, the album served as the official soundtrack to the 1989 film of the same name, although the original score by John Du Prez is omitted. The album's lead single was the titular "UHF", although it was not a hit and did not chart.

<i>Even Worse</i> 1988 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Even Worse is the fifth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on April 12, 1988. The album was produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between November 1987 and February 1988, this album helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after the critical and commercial failure of his previous album Polka Party! (1986).

<i>"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D</i> 1984 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D is the second studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on February 28, 1984, by Rock 'n Roll Records. The album was one of many produced by former McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between October and December 1983, the album was Yankovic's follow-up to his modestly successful debut LP, "Weird Al" Yankovic.

<i>Polka Party!</i> 1986 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on October 21, 1986. The album was produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between April and September 1986, the album was Yankovic's follow-up to his successful 1985 release, Dare to Be Stupid. The album's lead single, "Living With a Hernia", failed to chart.

<i>Straight Outta Lynwood</i> 2006 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Straight Outta Lynwood is the twelfth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 26, 2006, the title drawing inspiration from hip hop group N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton. It was the sixth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the mid-2000s. The album's lead single, "White & Nerdy", is a parody of Chamillionaire's hit single "Ridin'". The single debuted at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #9 the following week; "Canadian Idiot", a parody of Green Day's "American Idiot", also charted, peaking at #82.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Idiot</span> 2006 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Canadian Idiot" is a song by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on 26 September 2006 from his album Straight Outta Lynwood. It is a parody of Green Day's song "American Idiot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">"Weird Al" Yankovic discography</span> List of works by Weird Al Yankovic

The discography of American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor and parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic consists of fourteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, nine compilation albums, eleven video albums, two extended plays, two box sets, forty-six singles and fifty-four music videos. Since the debut of his first comedy song in 1976, he has sold more than 12 million albums—more than any other comedy act in history—recorded more than 150 parody and original songs, and performed more than 1,000 live shows. His works have earned him five Grammy Awards among sixteen nominations, along with several gold and platinum record certifications in the United States. Yankovic's first single, "My Bologna", was released in 1979, and he made his chart debut two years later with his second single, "Another One Rides the Bus", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. His self-titled debut studio album was released on Scotti Brothers Records on May 3, 1983, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Ricky", the album's third single, became his first single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 64.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">"Weird Al" Yankovic</span> American comedy musician (born 1959)

Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing comedy songs that often parody specific songs by contemporary musicians. He also performs original songs that are style pastiches of the work of other acts, as well as polka medleys of several popular songs, most of which feature his trademark accordion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whatever You Like ("Weird Al" Yankovic song)</span> Song by Weird Al Yankovic from Alpocalypse

"Whatever You Like" is a song and single by "Weird Al" Yankovic, the first song from the digital EP Internet Leaks and was later released on his thirteenth studio album Alpocalypse. It is a direct parody of the song of the same name by T.I. As with T.I.'s song, Yankovic's lyrics describe a man wooing a girlfriend with gifts that she may want; however, in light of economic problems in the United States at the time, these are inexpensive or economical options, such as clipping coupons or going out to dinner at Burger King or McDonald's.

<i>Internet Leaks</i> 2009 EP by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Internet Leaks is the second EP released by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. Released digitally on August 25, 2009, its lead single is a parody of "Whatever You Like" by artist T.I. For Yankovic, the EP was an experiment in using the Internet as a way to release music in an efficient and timely manner. As a result, the lead single, "Whatever You Like", references the Great Recession of 2008. The EP also contains style parodies of the Doors, Weezer, the White Stripes, and Queen; all of the songs, except for "Ringtone", had been released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009, preceding the record's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perform This Way</span> Song by Weird Al Yankovic from Alpocalypse

"Perform This Way" is a song parody by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. The lyrics are told from the point of view of Gaga and describe her performance style and fashion sense. The song is the sixth single from Yankovic's 2011 album Alpocalypse, and all the proceeds were donated to the Human Rights Campaign charity. Gaga herself has praised the work and has additionally described herself as a "Weird Al" fan. The song entered and peaked at number six on the Comedy Digital Tracks chart of Billboard, remaining for a total of eight weeks.

<i>Mandatory Fun</i> 2014 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Mandatory Fun is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. The self-produced album was released by RCA Records in the United States on July 15, 2014. Yankovic had previously released Alpocalypse in 2011 and was touring in support of it when he first spoke of his next record. When he began to work on Mandatory Fun, Yankovic found himself listening to older acts, many of which he stylistically spoofed on the album.

<i>Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic</i> Compilation box set by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic is a 15-album box set by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on November 24, 2017. Squeeze Box marks Yankovic's second box set since 1994's Permanent Record: Al in the Box.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Itkzoff, David (June 9, 2011). "Serving Pop Stars, but on a Skewer". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  2. ↑ Sterdan, Darryl (April 20, 2011). "Gaga approves 'Weird Al' parody". Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ Watercutter, Angela (June 20, 2011). "Alpocalypse Now: 'Weird Al' Yankovic Says 'Twitter Saved My Album'". Wired . Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Yankovic, Weird Al (2011). Alpocalypse (liner). Jive Records.
  5. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (June 20, 2011). "Serving Pop Stars, but on a Skewer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Kreps, Daniel (August 4, 2009). ""Weird Al" Parodies The White Stripes, Charles Nelson Reilly". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  7. ↑ "C.N.R. B.T.S.!". JibJab. August 4, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  8. ↑ "C.N.R. B.T.S. II !". JibJab. August 6, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Weird Al and JibJab Join Forces". PRWeb. August 6, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 "iTunes Pre-Order". Apple Inc.
  11. ↑ Hopkins, Johns. "Idiots & Angels: COED's Interview With Oscar Nominated Animator Bill Plympton". Coedmagazine.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Episode #8.170". The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. February 9, 2012 – via IMDb.
  13. 1 2 3 Lipshutz, Jason (June 21, 2011). "'Weird Al' Yankovic, 'Alpocalypse': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). ""Weird Al" Yankovic". The A.V. Club . The Onion. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  15. ↑ Wallace, Lewis (July 14, 2009). "'Weird Al' Tells Sad Tale of 'Skipper Dan'". Wired . Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  16. ↑ "News Ticker: Treasure Island Festival, Common, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Snoop Dogg". Rolling Stone. July 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Weird Al Unveils His New Polka(face)". Cover Me. July 23, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Alpocalypse, "Weird Al" Yankovic". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  19. ↑ McCarthy, Caroline (June 16, 2009). "Weird Al takes on Craigslist with The Doors". CNet. Archived from the original on July 29, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Weird Al" Yankovic - Party In The CIA (Parody of "Party In The U.S.A.") on YouTube
  21. ↑ "Weird Al Leaks". antiMusic. August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  22. ↑ "The Super News Callabo-Jam with Weird Al Yankovic! – Premieres August 21st". Current TV. August 15, 2009. Archived from the original (Flash video) on August 16, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  23. 1 2 Yankovic, Alfred. "Weird Al Yankovic "Alpocalypse (Deluxe CD/DVD)"". weirdal.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  24. 1 2 3 Shetler, Scott (June 16, 2011). "Weird Al Yankovic, "Alpocalypse" – Album Review". PopCrush. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  25. ↑ Vreval, Jeff (October 6, 2008). "Weird Al Goes Digital With T.I. Cover". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  26. 1 2 Khanna, Vish (June 28, 2011). ""Weird Al" Yankovic Alpocalypse Now… and Then". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  27. ↑ Sellers, John. "Tough Questions for 'Weird Al' Yankovic". Spin .
  28. ↑ "'Weird Al' Yankovic - Polka Face". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  29. ↑ Yankovic, Weird Al (June 21, 2011). "Al's Blog: "Alpocalypse Now!!"". Weird Al Yankovic. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  30. ↑ "Alpocalypse by Weird Al Yankovic". Metacritic.
  31. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "Alpocalypse – Weird Al Yankovic". AllMusic . Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  32. 1 2 Wild, Matt (June 21, 2011). "Alpocalypse". The A.V. Club . Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  33. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (December 7, 2017). ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Alpocalypse".
  35. ↑ Grischow, Chad (June 25, 2011). "Weird Al Yankovic: Alpocalypse Review".
  36. 1 2 Hermes, Will (June 21, 2011). "Alpocalypse by Weird Al Yankovic". Rolling Stone . Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Album Review: "Weird Al" Yankovic – Alpocalypse". Consequence of Sound . July 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011.
  38. ↑ "Grammy Award Nominees – 2011" . Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  39. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (June 29, 2011). "Jill Scott Celebrates First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  40. ↑ "HITS Daily Double: Building Album Sales Chart". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  41. ↑ "HITS Daily Double: Building Album Sales Chart". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  42. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (August 16, 2014). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'Weird Al' Has Biggest Comedy Album Since 2011". Billboard . Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Players". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  44. ↑ "Weird Al Yankovic - Alpocalypse". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Weird Al Yankovic Album & Song Chart History – Canadian Albums". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  46. ↑ "Weird Al Yankovic Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  47. ↑ "Weird Al Yankovic Album & Song Chart History – Comedy Albums". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  48. ↑ "Top Comedy Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Top Comedy Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.