Well that was fun, wasn’t it? Thanks in large part to a brilliant marketing strategy that included releasing eight music videos in eight consecutive days, Mandatory Fun was the first Weird Al album to debut at No. 1.
So where do we go from here? In the myriad of interviews Weird Al has done in the past few weeks, he has alluded to the notion that Mandatory Fun would likely be his last traditional album. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s done producing music by any means; he’ll just be searching for new ways to distribute it.
In the interest of being as timely as possible with his parodies, it would seem that Weird Al will be best served releasing songs one at a time, or as part of smaller EPs. That could mean far more Weird Al releases than any of us 
could have ever imagined in our wildest dreams. New songs released throughout the year, videos popping up at random times…to that degree, it sounds great.
But there has always been something satisfying about knowing a new Weird Al album was on the horizon. I’ve always enjoyed the themes and art of each album, and it would be great if Al found a way to still incorporate those elements into his future. After all, the cover to Bad Hair Day remains as fantastic as ever.
Weird Al is certainly entering uncharted waters, but he has shown just how well he can adapt to the changing music landscape. You don’t have a relevant 30-year career as a comedy artist without knowing a thing or two about the industry and its trends. He’s not going away, he’s just going to retool and return in another capacity.
And if Mandatory Fun really is his last album, what a way for that chapter to end.
