Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul (1988)

February 13, 2026

Paula Abdul began her decades-long career in entertainment when she was selected to join the vaunted Laker Girls as a college freshman. Within only a year, she was elevated from cheerleader to head choreographer, where she would continue to thrive through the mid-80s. But on one fateful night, she would catch the eye of one of the royal families of pop music – the Jacksons – who happened to be in attendance at a game and noticed her undeniable star power. The Jacksons would bring her on to choreograph the music video for their 1984 single, “Torture,” which would then propel her into the orbit of Janet Jackson – for whom she would work with on a number of popular music videos from her 1986 breakout sensation, Control. And in the years that would follow, Abdul would continue to earn high profile choreography jobs ranging from George Michael to ZZ Top to Duran Duran – and even to Tom Hanks in the giant keyboard sequence of 1988’s Big. 

Now, while many would simply enjoy the success that would come from being one of the highest profile choreographers on the planet – Paula Abdul found herself unsatisfied and was adamant about pursuing far loftier ambitions. Despite being untrained in any sort of legitimate way, she knew that she had a decent enough voice that could be enhanced with the help of vocal lessons (alongside a little studio magic), and had now found herself with an endless array of connections in the entertainment business. So with only $72,000 – which she had saved throughout the course of her career – Abdul compiled a demo tape that caught the attention of one of her colleagues from her days working with Janet Jackson, who was able to get her a deal with Virgin Records. And while her musical ability was limited, and her songwriting skills were essentially non-existent – Abdul’s top-tier dancing ability, photogenic smile, and bubbly personality comprised the perfect recipe for pop superstardom. 

Abdul front and center with the Laker Girls

In spite of the fact that Abdul’s reputation had only served her within the music industry and not in the general public, it would be impossible to argue that her 1988 debut – Forever Your Girl – was anything other than a historic feat in pop music history. Aside from the already impressive accomplishment of achieving a #1 album on her first try, Abdul’s four #1 singles – “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted,” and “Opposites Attract” – would tie for second on the list of most #1 singles on any album (trailing only Michael Jackson’s Bad at the time, but now Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, as well) and set the record for the most #1 singles on a debut release. 

As one might expect from a non-musician with limited songwriting chops, the lyrics throughout Forever Your Girl are fairly unoriginal and lean on the familiar pop music tropes of love and relationships – with the most juicy coming on “Cold Hearted,” which was reportedly about her ill-fated, short-lived fling with John Stamos. But despite the expected lack of lyrical depth, it’s hard to argue that the album’s tracklist is anything other than a hit parade. Abdul’s musical direction is clearly inspired by her former boss and mentor, Janet Jackson – utilizing the tried and true formula of combining dance-pop and R&B – and hits the mark particularly well on its four #1 singles, all of which have gone on to become pop classics. She also wisely incorporated a small dose of the increasingly popular hip hop genre with “Opposites Attract” – an addictively catchy duet with the Wild Pair, who performed as a cartoon cat named MC Skat Kat in the song’s popular music video, which was inspired by Gene Kelly’s dance with Jerry Mouse in Anchors Aweigh (1945) and happened to come out just months after Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And on top of what was certainly her most popular MTV staple, Abdul’s video for the title track was not only directed by future film-making auteur, David Fincher, but was also the very first acting credit for an eight-year-old Elijah Wood. 

Janet Jackson and Paul Abdul

Where Abdul’s legacy as a performing artist may ultimately suffer is the fact that it was admittedly a bit of a flash in the pan. Her 1991 follow-up, Spellbound, would also hit #1 on the Billboard 200 despite not reaching the same tier of classic hit songs; while her largely forgettable third and final album, Head over Heels (1995), would only reach #18. But whether you’re a fan or not, you really have no choice but to respect Abdul as one of the great entertainers of the last fifty years. From her time as a choreographer for the iconic Laker Girls, to her work on the music videos of some of the most popular recording artists of the 80s, to her historic debut album, and eventually to her time as a judge on the most significant televised singing competition of all time – she’s an absolute star. And while she may not be the best singer, musician, or songwriter whoever lived, that isn’t really the point – Paula Abdul’s influence on and contributions to American culture cannot be derided or ignored.