Typically the lead single is the most recent or most topical parody.

He can say that, but if one of the songs gets a real video and the other 7 are animated, then his actions say otherwise.

Video has nothing to do with a track release. If you wan to get all technical then I guess the "lead" single will be the one he releases first regardless that he release all 12 tracks at once.
I doubt anyone (maybe you) are going to argue what track is the "lead single".

Has he never seen the structure of his own albums? The first track is always the "lead single" and it's also the most popular/relevant parody.

In reverse order: Perform this Way, White & Nerdy, Couch Potato, The Saga Begins, Amish Paradise, Jurassic Park (the exception that proves the rule ), Smells Like Nirvana, Fat, Living with a Hernia (Okay, okay), Like a Surgeon, Eat It, Ricky (among others)

It could be a greatest hits album.

There's no way that the first track on the album is anything but the one that he feels will be the most ripe for parody at this point and it and its video/costume will be part of the upcoming Mandatory Fun tour.

Yeah, by lead single, I mean the first track on the album, the one he does a video for, pushes in public appearances, and structures the tour around.

I admit I don't follow Top 40 much anymore but was Fancy that big of a hit to warrant his top parody on this album? Although we don't know all of the songs he's riffing yet, I would think Happy is the bigger title given it's viral status.

Are you kidding ? Every 5min that damn song is paying. Sometimes I click 3 different stations and it's playing.

I don't know if this is a plus or a minus for "Fancy", but I've never heard of it. I don't listen to the radio, so who am I to judge? I do know that despite that, I could not escape "Happy" after the award shows.

It's been the number one song on the Hot 100 for 5 weeks now. Granted, "Happy" was #1 for 10 weeks and far more ubiquitous, but maybe he's striking while the iron's hot?

For what it's worth, the concept of being "Handy" potentially seems to go better with the framework of "Fancy" than it does with "Happy", while "Tacky" would work with either.

I'm not familiar with "Happy" or "Fancy", and I just looked 'em up on YouTube to be sure. I mean, I was aware of the existence of "Happy" but hadn't actually heard it. I've been subjected to "Royals" on XMU (it's unavoidable) but change the channel quickly enough that I don't think I've ever heard the whole thing.

I've never heard of "Fancy" either. "Happy" on the other hand is totally inescapable. Adam Tyner, I hope you have air conditioning in your cave and access to clean drinking water; it's going to be a hot summer.

I get not knowing what's popular anymore, but come on, there's no way humanly possible you haven't heard "Happy."

I'm not going to say I've never heard "Happy", but I haven't heard it enough to register. I watched the music video on YouTube earlier today, and it didn't sound familiar at all. I went through the same thing with "Let It Go" not too long before this too.

Well good for you then. Happy is catchy but it has the dumbest lyrics imaginable.

It's been YEARS now since I've even known what songs Weird Al has been parodying. I usually hear his version first and then get surprised when I happen to hear the original song someplace.

Awesome! Weird Al may be parodying Def Leppard! It's about time

http://youtu.be/BZgr_3BvTmg

I only know it because he did it on the Oscars.

Regarding singles, doesn't everyone release a bunch of singles at once nowadays? The exception would be a release before the album's date, or maybe there are a few bands that won't allow their albums to be split up. But with the way music is distributed you could call every track a single.

That's how Taylor Swift could have 40 top-40 singles after just 4 albums. I was amazed when that came up on Jeopardy, but with iTunes and the like I guess I can see it.

Interesting article from EW.com... 'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Stories Behind The Songs
http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/07/03/w...es-eat-it-fat/

He posted this on social media:

I think by Al not releasing any singles before the album comes out has made me anticipate this album even more. Half of the Alpocalypse album had been released months if not a year prior to the albums release. I wasn't too excited about buying it. In fact, I didn't purchase it for a year or so after it was released. Can't wait til Tuesday!

I agree. I wasn't let down by it, but it didn't feel fresh considering one of the parodies was already 3 years old by the time the album had actually come out.

The album has leaked... Here are your parodies:

Don't know a single one of those songs.

You may hear them when you climb out from under the horder's mess you've apparently been living under.