Weird Al Yankovic: ‘Mandatory Fun’ Album Debuts With Pharrell Williams Video Spoof, ‘Tacky’
Weird Al Yankovic, of Dr. Demento fame, is at it again! The zany, accordion wielding novelty song genius takes on every pop artist from Lorde to Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) in his new Weird Al Yankovic album, Mandatory Fun, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
To kick off his new album’s release, Weird Al is releasing eight music videos in eight days (#8videos8days). The eight new Weird Al Yankovic videos, to be posted on the Nerdist, lead off today with Tacky, Yankovic’s take on Pharrell Williams’, Happy.
Weird Al has been tweeting the news, and as Mandatory Fun continues to take the world by storm, the Eat It crooner will surely be keeping his fans, and detractors, in the loop:
Yep, I have 8 brand new music videos, and I’ll be premiering one EVERY SINGLE DAY starting July 14! #8videos8days #MandatoryFun
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) June 29, 2014
According to the Nerdist, this first posted video by Weird Al’s features guest appearances from comedians Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal and Jack Black. For the video’s location, Yankovic and colleagues chose the historic Palace Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Nerdist notes that this location is the same spot used for Julianne Moore’s apartment in The Big Lebowski. Could this be an intentional Weird Al Yankovic trivia plant? Hmmm…
“We’re going to have some fun today!” Weird Al told the Nerdist before cameras started to roll. “Thank you, Pharrell – I really appreciate it! You’re a cool guy.”
The epic 3-minute Tacky video incorporates a single-shot style, reminiscent of some amazing viral high school videos. The incredible three-minute single take is book-ended by the ever talented Weird Al, with Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal and Jack Black, all at their very tackiest, as the meat in the video sandwich.
If the intention is to make tackiness fashionable, Weird Al Yankovic may be successful, Jack Black’s tye-dye pants and flashy fanny pack/man-purse sure to become new staples of men’s fashion, while Kristen Schaal’s hands-on-her-boobs dress is also sure to set the fashion world on fire.
As for the rest of the album, Weird Al says:
“I am very proud of it. I think it’s my best album to date.”
And judging by the rest of Mandatory Fun‘s contents, Weird Al isn’t just self-aggrandizing:
Yankovic takes on a huge spectrum of pop, range that only a few such as Weird Al can tackle. The songs he reworks include Blurred Lines as Word Crimes, and Royals as Foil.
But Weird Al Yankovic really shows his chops – and why he is justifiably an American treasure, in the medley, NOW That’s What I Call Polka!
Pop hits, under Yankovic’s tutelage, are able to truly shine, with Wrecking Ball, Pumped Up Kicks, Best Song Ever, Gangnam Style, Call Me Maybe, Scream & Shout, Somebody That I Used to Know, Timber, Sexy and I Know It, Thrift Shop, and Get Lucky, all combining to create a composite of art not seen since the Supergroups of the 1970’s and ’80’s.
Along with another video, Weird Al Yankovic’s Mandatory Fun is scheduled for release tomorrow, July 15th.
Photos via Wikipedia
