Alpocalypse
Encyclopedia
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood
in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
to receive a domestic release as a vinyl record. Several of the tracks of Alpocalypse were previously released as part of the EP
Internet Leaks
.
The album was pre-released by Yankovic on the music streaming website MOG
on June 14, 2011.
. 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 the pop culture — whenever that happens to be". 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, with indications that they would also eventually appear on Yankovic's next published album. Other tracks on the album were recorded in November 2010. 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 is parodied in the album's lead song "Perform This Way."
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. 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. Through Twitter
and other social media services within the day of posting, Lady Gaga and her staff realized the artist never had 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 Alpocalypses 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.
The name Alpocalypse is a play on words that Yankovic had listed in a notebook with other potential album titles. It was chosen for the present album to parody recent public fears of an apocalypse such as 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. The title is tied to the album's cover art, a parody image depicting Yankovic as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
.
Yankovic intends to create 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. 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.
", is a parody 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'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. "CNR" is a style parody of The White Stripes
, in particular borrowing heavily from "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
". 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. In a first for any major recording artist, users of JibJab's web site had the option of including themselves in the music video.
The third track on the album, "TMZ", which is a parody of "You Belong with Me
" by Taylor Swift
, is about celebrities whose failings, no matter how minor, appear on the celebrity gossip site, TMZ.com
. It simultaneously satirizes both people's obsession with the lives of celebrities and the stupid things that celebrities do. It contains indirect references to Mel Gibson
's racist rant in 2010 and Britney Spears
shaving her head, amongst other things. The music video, by Bill Plympton
, is about a woman celebrity whose bare butt is photographed by a TMZ paparazzo and then appears everywhere she goes. Voice actor Tom Kenny
is featured as a voice shouting out various tabloid headlines during an instrumental solo. "Skipper Dan" is a style parody of Weezer
The lyrics describe a man that, 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". Yankovic hit upon this idea and developed the characters of the narrator to write the song along. Yankovic has stated that actual skippers on the Jungle Cruise ride have responded positively to this song. Video was created by Divya Srinivasan.
The fifth track on the album, "Polka Face" 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
"Craigslist
" is a style parody of The Doors
. The lyrics mimic listings on Craigslist
. Keyboard work was performed by former Doors' member Ray Manzarek
. 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
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." 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. It has a music video animated by a team led by Roque Ballesteros, the group responsible for Happy Tree Friends
. Yankovic sought this team, believing their dark comedic work on "Happy Tree Friends" matched well with his lyrics for "Party in the CIA". "Ringtone" is a style parody of Queen
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.
The ninth track on the album, "Another Tattoo", is a parody of "Nothin' on You
" by B.o.B
featuring Bruno Mars
. 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. "If That Isn't Love", a style parody of Hanson, is about a person who demonstrates that they don't know the true meaning of love through committing and citing extremely misguided and insufficient attempts at expressing love, and "totally supports every idiotic thing [his wife/girlfriend does]". 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". 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", a style parody of the work of Jim Steinman
. The song is a diatribe against sending the narrator useless junk emails. The music video is a kinetic typography representation of the lyrics made by Koos Dekker.
DVD
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff is the sixth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The album featured many music cuts from the film as well as some of the commercials and other parody bits...
to receive a domestic release as a vinyl record. Several of the tracks of Alpocalypse were previously released as part of the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Internet Leaks
Internet Leaks
Internet Leaks is the third EP from "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released digitally on August 25, 2009, although all of the songs were initially released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009...
.
The album was pre-released by Yankovic on the music streaming website MOG
MOG (online music)
MOG is a paid subscription online music service and blog network, where users can listen to, read about, and discover music. Users can play any song in MOG's catalog on their computer through their web browser; on their mobile device through MOG's applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and...
on June 14, 2011.
Recording and production
Alpocalypse is Yankovic's most recent studio album after a five-year gap since Straight Outta LynwoodStraight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
. 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 the pop culture — whenever that happens to be". 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, with indications that they would also eventually appear on Yankovic's next published album. Other tracks on the album were recorded in November 2010. 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
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Born This Way
Born This Way
Born This Way is the second studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga that was released on May 23, 2011, by Interscope Records. The album is a follow-up to her internationally-successful albums The Fame and The Fame Monster...
", which is parodied in the album's lead song "Perform This Way."
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. 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
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
charity. Through Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and other social media services within the day of posting, Lady Gaga and her staff realized the artist never had 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 Alpocalypses 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.
The name Alpocalypse is a play on words that Yankovic had listed in a notebook with other potential album titles. It was chosen for the present album to parody recent public fears of an apocalypse such as May 2011 end times predictions
2011 end times prediction
The 2011 end times prediction made by American Christian radio host Harold Camping stated that the Rapture and Judgment Day would take place on May 21, 2011, and that the end of the world would take place five months later on October 21, 2011. The Rapture, in a specific tradition of premillennial...
and the 2012 doomsday predictions
2012 phenomenon
The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar...
; "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. The title is tied to the album's cover art, a parody image depicting Yankovic as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
.
Yankovic intends to create 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
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Jokes.com. 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.
Composition
The album's opening track, "Perform This WayPerform This Way
"Perform This Way" is a song parody by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody 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...
", is a parody of "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
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. "CNR" is a style parody of The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, in particular borrowing heavily from "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a song by American garage rock band The White Stripes, featured on their 2001 third studio album White Blood Cells...
". The song's lyrics are about superhuman feats that Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
could accomplish, similar to Chuck Norris facts
Chuck Norris Facts
Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon and as a result have become widespread in popular culture. The facts are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and...
. The song's end is also very similar to the chorus of the song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim
You Don't Mess Around with Jim (song)
"You Don't Mess Around with Jim" is a 1972 single by Jim Croce from his album of the same name. The song was also Croce's debut single when it was released in July 1972...
." The video, created by JibJab
JibJab
JibJab is a digital entertainment studio based in Venice, California. Founded in 1999 by Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, it was noticed during the 2004 US presidential election when their video of George W. Bush and John Kerry singing "This Land is Your Land" became a hit. The company creates,...
, animates the song's lyrics using JibJab employees as actors against a green screen, interspersed with shots of Yankovic and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz
Jon Schwartz (drummer)
Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz is a drummer best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14, 1980...
performing on a White Stripes-inspired red-and-white set, dressed as Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
and Meg White
Meg White
Megan Martha "Meg" White is an American drummer best known for her work in the Detroit rock duo The White Stripes.-Early life:...
, respectively. In a first for any major recording artist, users of JibJab's web site had the option of including themselves in the music video.
The third track on the album, "TMZ", which is a parody of "You Belong with Me
You Belong with Me
"You Belong with Me" is a country pop song performed by American recording artist Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. It was released on April 21, 2009, by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's second studio...
" by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, is about celebrities whose failings, no matter how minor, appear on the celebrity gossip site, TMZ.com
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
. It simultaneously satirizes both people's obsession with the lives of celebrities and the stupid things that celebrities do. It contains indirect references to Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
's racist rant in 2010 and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
shaving her head, amongst other things. The music video, by Bill Plympton
Bill Plympton
William "Bill" Calvin Plympton is an American animator, former cartoonist, director, screenwriter and producer best known for his 1987 Academy Award-nominated animated short Your Face. and his series of shorts Guard Dog, Guide Dog, Hot Dog and Horn Dog.- Biography :Bill Plympton was born in...
, is about a woman celebrity whose bare butt is photographed by a TMZ paparazzo and then appears everywhere she goes. Voice actor Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
is featured as a voice shouting out various tabloid headlines during an instrumental solo. "Skipper Dan" is a style parody of Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
The lyrics describe a man that, despite having a fine arts degree, is forced to have a mundane job as a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise
The Jungle Cruise is an attraction located in Adventureland at many Disney Parks, including Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. At Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction is named Jungle River 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". Yankovic hit upon this idea and developed the characters of the narrator to write the song along. Yankovic has stated that actual skippers on the Jungle Cruise ride have responded positively to this song. Video was created by Divya Srinivasan.
The fifth track on the album, "Polka Face" is a polka medley, that includes the following songs: "Liechtensteiner Polka", "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, "Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
" by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, "Right Round
Right Round
“Right Round” is a song performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring pop singer Kesha from R.O.O.T.S., his second studio album. It was released to radio as the album's lead single on January 27, 2009 and was digitally released on February 10 by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records...
" by Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
featuring Kesha
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
, "Day 'n' Nite
Day 'n' Nite
"Day 'n' Nite" is the debut single by alternative hip hop artist Kid Cudi. It was produced by Dot da Genius and released February 2008 as a single, but was leaked in December 2007 and was featured by many blogs in mid-November 2008...
" by Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, "Baby
Baby (Justin Bieber song)
"Baby" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It was released as the lead single from the latter half of Bieber's debut album, My World 2.0. The track was written by Bieber with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, both of whom worked with Bieber on "One Time",...
" by Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
featuring Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, "So What
So What (Pink song)
"So What" is a song written by American pop rock singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album, Funhouse. Pink performed "So What" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and the song was used to promote the 2008 MTV...
" by Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, "Fireflies" by Owl City
Owl City
Owl City is an American electronica musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young formed in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement...
, "Blame It
Blame It
"Blame It" is a song by American singer Jamie Foxx, released as the second official single from his third studio album, Intuition. It features singer T-Pain and was written by Christopher "Deep" Henderson, Nate Walker, James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., and Brandon Melanchon and produced by...
" by Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
featuring T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, "Replay
Replay (Iyaz song)
"Replay" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the first single released from his debut album Replay, which was released on 8 June 2010....
" by Iyaz
Iyaz
Keidran Jones , better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records from the British Virgin Islands. His debut single "Replay", was released in 2009 and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number-one in the UK, Australia and the top ten...
, "Down
Down (Jay Sean song)
"Down" is an R&B-electropop song by British artist Jay Sean. The song was released in North America as his debut single from his first album there, All or Nothing. In other markets, including the UK, the song serves as Jay Sean's lead single from his third studio album. The single features American...
" by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, "Break Your Heart
Break Your Heart
"Break Your Heart" is a song by English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz. The song serves as the lead single from his second studio album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz and Fraser T. Smith and produced by Smith. It was first released in the UK on 20 September 2009, followed by a release in the United...
" by Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
featuring Ludacris, "The Tick Tock Polka" by Frankie Yankovic
Frankie Yankovic
Frankie Yankovic was a Grammy Award-winning polka musician. Known as "America's Polka King," Yankovic was the premier artist to play in the Slovenian style during a long and successful career.-Background:Of Slovene descent, he was raised in South Euclid, Ohio...
, "Tik Tok" by Kesha, and "Whatever's Left Over Polka
W.A.Y. Moby Polka
"W.A.Y. Moby Polka", previously known as "The Ear Booker Polka" and "The Poodle Hat Polka", refers to a portion or portions of music written by "Weird Al" Yankovic and featured in each of his polka medleys...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Craigslist
Craigslist (song)
"Craigslist" is the name of a song and single by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a style parody of The Doors, and contains lyrics inspired by postings at the online classified advertising service, Craigslist. Yankovic described the idea of the song coming about thinking how it would be...
" is a style parody of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. The lyrics mimic listings on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
. Keyboard work was performed by former Doors' member Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
. Low-budget video of Yankovic dressed as Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
with art-house and stock footage effects was produced by Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch (musician)
Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
.
The seventh track on the album, "Party in the CIA" is a parody of "Party in the U.S.A.
Party in the U.S.A.
"Party in the U.S.A." is a pop song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, and Jessie J and produced by Dr. Luke. It was released on August 11, 2009, by Hollywood Records, as the lead single from Cyrus' first extended play The Time of Our...
" by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
The song is about a CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
operative and all the missions he goes on, including covert assassination attempts and torturing
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
"the folks [The CIA] don't like." 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. It has a music video animated by a team led by Roque Ballesteros, the group responsible for Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends is an American Flash cartoon and made by Mondo Mini Shows, created and developed by Aubrey Ankrum Rhode Montijo Kenn Navarro and Warren Graff. The show has become a popular Internet phenomenon and it's since debut and has also won a cult following.As indicated on the official...
. Yankovic sought this team, believing their dark comedic work on "Happy Tree Friends" matched well with his lyrics for "Party in the CIA". "Ringtone" is a style parody of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
The lyrics are about the downsides of having an annoying cell phone ringtone. The song has an associated music video created by SuperNews!
SuperNews!
SuperNews! was a half-hour, satirical animated television series which aired on Current TV. It was created by Josh Faure-Brac who also wrote for the show and performed the majority of male voices. The show is primarily based on popular culture satire and political humor...
, which premiered August 21, 2009.
The ninth track on the album, "Another Tattoo", is a parody of "Nothin' on You
Nothin' on You
"Nothin' on You" is the debut single by American rapper B.o.B. The song features vocals from Bruno Mars. The song is included in B.o.B's debut studio album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. An official remix version of this song, which was featured by Big Boi, debuted on March 21, 2010...
" by B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
featuring Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
. 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. "If That Isn't Love", a style parody of Hanson, is about a person who demonstrates that they don't know the true meaning of love through committing and citing extremely misguided and insufficient attempts at expressing love, and "totally supports every idiotic thing [his wife/girlfriend does]". The music video was animated and directed by Brian Frisk.
The eleventh track on the album, "Whatever You Like
Whatever You Like ("Weird Al" Yankovic song)
"Whatever You Like" is the name of a song and single by "Weird Al" Yankovic, the first song from the digital EP Internet Leaks. It is a direct parody of a song of the same name by T.I....
", is a parody of T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
's "Whatever You Like". 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", a style parody of the work of Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
. The song is a diatribe against sending the narrator useless junk emails. The music video is a kinetic typography representation of the lyrics made by Koos Dekker.
Critical response
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." 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." 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." 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." 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."Commercial performance
Alpocalypse debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 9, Yankovic's highest chart ever, managing to sell 44,001 copies in its first week. During its second week, the album dropped to number 44, selling 10,353 copies.Track listing
The track listing for the album was revealed on Yankovic's official website on April 27, 2011.DVD
- "CNR" Animated and directed by JibJab.com
- "TMZ" Animated and directed by Bill PlymptonBill PlymptonWilliam "Bill" Calvin Plympton is an American animator, former cartoonist, director, screenwriter and producer best known for his 1987 Academy Award-nominated animated short Your Face. and his series of shorts Guard Dog, Guide Dog, Hot Dog and Horn Dog.- Biography :Bill Plympton was born in...
. Production Supervisor: Desiree Stavracos/Colorist: Lindsay Woods. Executive Producer: Ron Diamond, Acme Filmworks - "Skipper Dan" Animated and directed by Divya Srinivasan
- "Craigslist" Directed by Liam LynchLiam Lynch (musician)Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
- "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
- "Ringtone" Directed by Josh Faure-Brac for Current TVCurrent TVCurrent TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....
's SuperNews!SuperNews!SuperNews! was a half-hour, satirical animated television series which aired on Current TV. It was created by Josh Faure-Brac who also wrote for the show and performed the majority of male voices. The show is primarily based on popular culture satire and political humor...
/Lead Animator: Steven K.L. Olson - "Another Tattoo" Animated and directed by Augenblick StudiosAugenblick StudiosAugenblick Studios is an independent animation studio located in New York City. Founded in 1999 by Aaron Augenblick, their team of artists has created a wide array of animated shorts for television, film, and the Internet. Clients include the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Spike Lee, PBS, MTV,...
- "If That Isn't Love" Animated and directed by Brian Frisk
- "Whatever You Like" Animated and directed Cris Shapan
- "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me" Animated and directed by Koos Dekker
Personnel
- "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
– vocals, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals, hand claps - Jim "Kimo" WestJim West (guitarist)James "Jim" "Kimo" West is a guitarist best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. West auditioned for Yankovic, after being introduced by Steve Jay, and the two have worked together ever since...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, keyboards, vocals - Steve JaySteve JayEugene Stephen "Steve" Jay is a bass guitarist best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic.Jay was born in Florida. He auditioned for Yankovic after answering an ad in the newspaper, and the two have worked together ever since...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, banjo, vocals, orchestration - Rubén ValtierraRubén ValtierraRubén Valtierra is the keyboardist best known for working with "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met at the Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary special in October 1991. Shortly after, Yankovic invited him to join his band as a touring keyboardist, and they have worked together ever since...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboards - Jon "Bermuda" SchwartzJon Schwartz (drummer)Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz is a drummer best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14, 1980...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals - Lisa PopeilLisa PopeilLisa Stephanie Popeil is an American voice coach, singer, musician, voice researcher and lecturer.The eldest daughter of S.J. Popeil and Eloise Popeil . S.J. was born in New York City and mother Eloise was born in Scottsboro, Alabama. S.J...
– vocals - Monique Donnely – background vocals on "Perform This Way"
- Marty Rifkin – pedal steel guitar on "TMZ"
- Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
- voice over on "TMZ" - Ray ManzarekRay ManzarekRaymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
– keyboards on "Craigslist" - Taylor HansonTaylor HansonTaylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
– piano on "If That Isn't Love" - Brian Warwick - Engineer
- Tony Papa - Engineer
- Rafael Serrano - Engineer
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
13 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
9 |
| US Billboard Top Comedy Albums | 1 |