I love reviewing music, especially songs, so this is something I'll probably do for other artists in the future. I might also cover her album tracks or the Head Over Heels album (which I'm less familiar with), but for now:


"Knocked Out" - The first single off Forever Your Girl in 1988. She wasn't well known yet and it charted relatively low, despite being very catchy dance-pop made over in a streetwise, slightly urbanized way. One of Paula's biggest contemporaries at the time was Janet Jackson (whom she'd choreographed videos for, as well as taught dance moves), and that Control influence is easy to pick up here.

"Straight Up" - THE signature Paula Abdul song which made her a household name, and one of the biggest hits of 1989. Despite not being groundbreaking itself, it's extremely catchy with its smoothed out freesyle beat and simple theme of asking this guy if he loves her or isn't really serious. This is a good example of songs which bridged the gap between Eighties and Nineties-styled music (a process lasting through about 1993 altogether).

"Forever Your Girl" - A little change of pace. While it has a medium tempo dance beat, it feels like a sunny love song. Pretty much it's about her reassuring her boyfriend (who is having some doubts) that no matter what, she'll always love him and nothing could change that. The lack of any hip hop elements makes it more old-school than her other singles, and very '80ish. It's even got some backing saxophone.

"Cold Hearted" - Upbeat club/dance in the form of giving advice to a female friend about a boyfriend who refuses to be faithful and for her to just dump him. The house music influence is really prevelent and would eventually morph full strength into '90s urban pop. Alot of rap fans seem to like this song in an old-school sense.

"It's Just The Way That You Love Me" - A song about this girl with a wealthy boyfriend. She's telling him that no matter how much money he has or what he does for her, what matters most is the love he has for her. I'm sure it was coincidental, but it's a very accurate time capsule - commenting on the material excess of the '80s with a bit of cynicsm that was surfacing by the end of Reagan's term. It's also got a house/synthpop instrumentation mix with some poppy guitar soloing thrown in.

"Opposites Attract" - One of the most memorable songs of 1990. On the surface, this has elements of every other PA song - watered-down late '80ish pop with a mainstream hip hop influence, and lyrics about a couple who get along great and love each other, despite not having a single thing in common. What distinguishes it is the duet from MC SKat Kat in the iconic music video, melding a live action Paula dancing and interacting with the cartoon caricature.


I'll post more later.

I love Paula, so that was intresting.

Would you possibly analyze 'Crazy Cool'  :). I love that song......

I love Paula, so that was intresting.

Would you possibly analyze 'Crazy Cool'  :). I love that song......


Thanks. :) I'm not as keen on the HOH songs, but I really like "Crazy Cool".

I'm not entirely sure what the lyrics are about, but it seems like it fits the closest to something off Spellbound - i.e. "Vibeology". The progression from her 1989ish stuff to this song almost seemed to parallel Madonna's edginess after her c. 1984 teenybopper inspired debut album. There's some sexual undertones on it, but in a more subtle way. Like it sounds as if the guy she's with makes her feel sexy, but good about herself too.

I remember when I first heard "Knocked Out" on the radio. It wasn't in heavy rotation on the radio but I did hear it at least once per day. I also remember being the only one who liked that song!  :D I bought the "Forever Your Girl" album on cassette even before "Straight Up" was released.

I remember when I first heard "Knocked Out" on the radio. It wasn't in heavy rotation on the radio but I did hear it at least once per day. I also remember being the only one who liked that song!  :D I bought the "Forever Your Girl" album on cassette even before "Straight Up" was released.

Oh, that's cool. I guess you were one of the first fans in that sense.

Everything I've heard says that the album had a really slow start until "Straight Up" came out, and that no one seemed very interested. That seems weird in retrospect, because it's all so catchy. What did you think of some of the big hits before they became popular? I mean "Cold Hearted" even SOUNDS like a hit.

She's a great dancer back in her day, though an OK singer.

Oh, that's cool. I guess you were one of the first fans in that sense.

Everything I've heard says that the album had a really slow start until "Straight Up" came out, and that no one seemed very interested. That seems weird in retrospect, because it's all so catchy. What did you think of some of the big hits before they became popular? I mean "Cold Hearted" even SOUNDS like a hit.


It was off to a pretty slow start when her album was first released....I would see copies of her album just sitting there at places like KMart, Target, and Musicland before I bought it. I got it because I liked the song "Knocked Out" and I felt this was the kind of cassette I would enjoy and play over and over again, and I was right.  :) Back then, I predicted that "Cold Hearted" and "Opposites Attract" would be released as singles (or, as I used to say, "Oh, this song should be played on the radio!  :D). I wasn't too crazy about the last track "One or the Other" but all in all I loved this album. The songs were fun and energetic and spent a lot of time in my tape deck.

I remember when the "Knocked Out" vid came out - I used to watch it over and over and bought the album on cassette straight away too.

Paula's always done some good stuff... the Vibeology singles were good and stuff from Head Over Heels like "My Love Is For Real" and "Crazy Cool" are decent tunes.

Worst Paula hit singles... Opposite's Attract and Coldhearted Snake.

I have long ben a fan of Paula's music.  I first heard it in 1988 when I was stationed in Okinawa.  I bought the tape from a bootleg vender out in town, and played it over and over again.  I also bought the "Shut Up And Dance" remix CD when I got back to the US (she was the first artist to sell remixes of her own songs commercially).

Ironically, I did not even connect her with the Paula I went to school with.  And neither did my wife (who was also a classmate of hers).  Her appearance had so drastically changed over the last 6 years that she was no longer recognizeable.  And in many ways, it was "Opposites Attract" that brought rap into the mainstream.  A lot of people who would normally never listen to rap were able to accept it in what was undoubtedly a pop-dance song.


Worst Paula hit singles... Opposite's Attract and Coldhearted Snake.


Actually, I liked both of those songs.  Then again, I liked everything from her first 2 albums.  I think she lost it by the time her 3rd album came out though, because everything already sounded dated.

And a lot of people forgot that she started as a dancer and choreographer.  SHe not only did the dance moves for The Running Man, Comming To America, and Can't Buy Me Love, she was also responsible for the iconic "Piano Dance" segment from the Tom Hanks movie Big.  She was also responsible for most of the moves by both Michael and Janet Jackson.  And more recently, she did the choreography for American Beauty.

Actually, I liked both of those songs.


I just think she lost some of her street-cred with them... the lyrics of Cold Hearted and then dancing with a cartoon cat in Opposites. Straight Up and Knocked Out had a much harder edge. Anyway I don't blame her for going more pop mainstream as that's where the money was in the early 90s.

Paula Abdul choreographed Deborah Gibson's 1987 "Shake Your Love Video".

Also  videos Janet Jackson, George Michael, and even ZZ Top.

Straight Up and Rush Rush are her best.

I also bought the "Shut Up And Dance" remix CD when I got back to the US (she was the first artist to sell remixes of her own songs commercially).

What do you think of that album? I like it, but really, the songs are barely re-mixed. It's like listening to a compilation of songs from the only other album she had out at the time. Some of them were made to sound kind of house-y, though....

I just think she lost some of her street-cred with them... the lyrics of Cold Hearted and then dancing with a cartoon cat in Opposites. Straight Up and Knocked Out had a much harder edge. Anyway I don't blame her for going more pop mainstream as that's where the money was in the early 90s.

Interesting, I actually never thought about it that way before. I agree "Knocked Out" was a little more urbanized and I think the main fanbase was with the R&B and club/dance crowd. After "Straight Up" came out, the other singles were more poppified (I think they all went to #1 or close to it).

I also agree with Mushroom that "Opposites Attract" has some hip hop elements that could appeal to someone who didn't like rap per se. There were alot of pop songs like that in 1989-1991. As far as Head Over Heels not catching on, I think it was just too long of a wait inbetween albums by almost four years. Soundwise, it was like a mix of her early Nineties sound with alot of 1995ish R&B, like on "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up". I could see someone like TLC doing alot of those songs. Overall it was more hip hop-oriented too.

*BUMP*

When I have more energy, I'll do a full on review of the Spellbound singles, but in the meantime, does anyone agree that it was probably a better album overall than Forever Your Girl? Even if that one had more singles, and probably a higher number of "classic" songs, the entire Spellbound CD felt like it had more variety? Something like "U" or "Rock House" was edgier and more hip hop influenced, then there was breezy pop stuff like "Alright Tonight" or the title track, which was just unique and I'm not quite sure how to describe it.

Even though it came out in 1991, it doesn't sound '80slike almost at all (even if it does have that slick production). Actually, even though it adapted to the Nineties sounds pretty well, it's pretty timeless in alot of ways too.

I felt that "Spellbound" was a lot different from "Forever Your Girl".  :) If anybody needed an example of what music was like in 1991, then this album would be it. I've always preferred her dance/uptempo songs, but it was nice that this album featured more ballads. When I first heard "Rush Rush", I was like, "Wow! I never thought I'd hear a Paula Abdul ballad on the radio!". Whenever I hear any song from "Spellbound", I feel like I'm back in the Summer of 1991 or the 8th grade again.  :)

^ That's true with me too. It reminds me of fourth grade school days, watching the videos on VH1 or just doing general things from my life at that time. Yeah, it sounds 1991, but not "dated 1991" if you know what I mean.

There were ballads on the first album ("Next To You" and the title track sort of was too), but I agree they were done much better here. I think she said once that she wanted to do something different and not just be a dance-pop artist. She probably also wanted to change with the times (even 1989 stuff was getting a little dated then).

*BUMP*

When I have more energy, I'll do a full on review of the Spellbound singles, but in the meantime, does anyone agree that it was probably a better album overall than Forever Your Girl? Even if that one had more singles, and probably a higher number of "classic" songs, the entire Spellbound CD felt like it had more variety? Something like "U" or "Rock House" was edgier and more hip hop influenced, then there was breezy pop stuff like "Alright Tonight" or the title track, which was just unique and I'm not quite sure how to describe it.

Even though it came out in 1991, it doesn't sound '80slike almost at all (even if it does have that slick production). Actually, even though it adapted to the Nineties sounds pretty well, it's pretty timeless in alot of ways too.


I think Spellbound was more grown up. Blowing Kisses in the Wind and Rush, Rush are far better, heart felt songs than say Forever Your Girl now that I look at the Forever Your Girl album I don't even remember Next to You & I Need You. Were either of these ballads... maybe that's the difference.

I think Spellbound was more grown up. Blowing Kisses in the Wind and Rush, Rush are far better, heart felt songs than say Forever Your Girl now that I look at the Forever Your Girl album I don't even remember Next to You & I Need You. Were either of these ballads... maybe that's the difference.


Totally agree. Actually "Forever Your Girl" was a love song in terms of lyrics, and was a medium tempo, but it wasn't like a complete ballad. "Next To You" was the only one like that on her first album, and even though it's not bad, it wasn't pulled off as well as the slower Spellbound songs.

I heard an interview with her that was from around that time, which said she purposefully wanted "Rush Rush" to be that album's first single, just to show a different side of her than the slightly urbanized dance-pop songs everyone knew up till that point.

Totally agree. Actually "Forever Your Girl" was a love song in terms of lyrics, and was a medium tempo, but it wasn't like a complete ballad. "Next To You" was the only one like that on her first album, and even though it's not bad, it wasn't pulled off as well as the slower Spellbound songs.

I heard an interview with her that was from around that time, which said she purposefully wanted "Rush Rush" to be that album's first single, just to show a different side of her than the slightly urbanized dance-pop songs everyone knew up till that point.


Aside from Elijah Wood... did any of the kids from the Forever Your Girl vid amount to anything (that we know of  :) )

^ I'll have to look it up. That'd be cool to know actually, but he's the only one I know of who has. Those kids are about my age actually (7 or 8 back in 1989), I wish I could've been one of them, lol. ;)

Off note, but when Elijah broke that pencil at the desk, didn't it remind you of the "Boys of Summer" video from Don Henley where the guy at the desk did it? I only made that connection a couple months ago, but it's really uncanny.