Weird Al on New Music, Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Mandatory Fun’, and 40 Years of ‘Eat It’

Ten years ago, “Weird Al” Yankovic made history with his 14th and final studio album, “Mandatory Fun,” reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. This achievement was historic not only for Yankovic but also for the comedy genre, as it was the first time a comedy album had reached the top spot. A decade later, it remains unbeaten.

Reflecting on this milestone, Yankovic shared via Zoom with The Associated Press, “I know it feels ironic to decide to stop making albums after having had a number one album. But I just like the freedom of being able to really use whatever I want, whenever I want, and not have to be beholden to a label.”

To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of “Mandatory Fun,” Yankovic has released a new polka medley titled “Polkamania!” This creative cover features some of the biggest hits of the last decade, including Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” Adele’s “Hello,” Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” and many others.

During the interview, Yankovic discussed the anniversary, the new release, and why the accordion is considered a humorous instrument. He reiterated his decision from a decade ago that “Mandatory Fun” would be his final album. For Yankovic, releasing 12 songs at a time no longer made sense, especially given his penchant for topical humor. Waiting to compile enough material for an album could make some tracks lose their relevance.

Despite the comedic genre’s usual performance on the charts, Yankovic’s album not only achieved No. 1 but was also the first comedy album to do so. “I never dreamed it would happen,” Yankovic admitted. He was pleasantly surprised by its success, especially since comedy albums generally didn’t perform as well. Reaching the top of the charts against all odds was a significant and emotional achievement for him.

When asked why he released another polka medley, Yankovic noted several reasons. He wanted to have new material to play live when he eventually returns to touring. Additionally, he wanted to cover significant hits from the past decade that he hadn’t previously tackled, viewing them as missed opportunities. His song selection process started by focusing on tracks that had reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, ensuring a broad and iconic representation across the decade.

Yankovic shared that Taylor Swift’s team responded immediately, while Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish were thrilled to be included in the medley. However, they never heard back from SZA’s team regarding her song “Kill Bill.”

Discussing the inherent humor of polka, Yankovic attributed it to its incongruity. As a teenager playing the accordion, his attempts to join rock bands were often met with amusement, as everything played on the accordion seemed to sound like polka. Leaning into this perception, Yankovic created polka medleys of rock songs, which evolved over time to include inspirations from Spike Jones, a 1940s bandleader known for humorous musical renditions incorporating sound effects.

Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of “In 3-D,” which featured his famous Michael Jackson parody “Eat It,” Yankovic recalled his surprise at receiving Jackson’s blessing. At that time, Yankovic was relatively unknown and had only released one album. “Eat It” became a turning point, leading to what could be described as overnight fame. The video’s rotation on MTV drastically increased Yankovic’s public recognition.

Looking ahead, Yankovic hinted at more music-related projects in the future, though he isn’t planning to return to the studio for a traditional album anytime soon. There may be more singles on the horizon.

Interestingly, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” a song highly recommended by Yankovic’s daughter, almost made it into the new medley. However, Yankovic stuck to his criterion of including only No. 1 songs. Nonetheless, Yankovic’s history of collaboration with Carpenter on the animated series “Milo Murphy’s Law” remains a fond memory.

Source: The Associated Press