Forever Your Girlby Paula Abdul

By now, most think of Paula Abdul as that weird American Idol judge that Simon Cowell constantly mocks, or that girl who danced with a cat in a video. But this album was a massively successful debut. It hit number one on the Billboard charts sixty four weeks after it hit them, a record for the longest climb to the top. It spawned four number one singles, another that reached number three, and two more that made the charts. All this from a woman who is really better known for her dancing skills. She was one a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader, and a highly coveted choreographer, having won two Emmy awards for choreography. The album has been certified seven times platinum since it's release in 1988.

The songs on the album are all dance songs; you won't find any ballads out hard rockers here, Abdul knows her strength and sticks to it. The first single was probably the weakest, "Knocked Out" made it to number forty one in the beginning of the albums slow ascent. "The Way That You Loved Me" got more attention, hitting number three, helping to launch the album into it's glory period. "Straight Up" was the first of four songs in a row to reach number one, and may have been the most popular, being fairly ubiquitous in the late eighties. This was followed by "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted" and "Opposite Attract", whose music video featured Abdul dancing with an animated cat in one of the weirder moments in her early career.

Abdul was also very popular on the R&B charts. The album reached number four there, and four of her singles made it to the top ten, including are-release of "The Way That You Love Me". This was really her wheelhouse, she's a decent singer, but very one-dimensional. She's an amazing dancer/choreographer, though, which was a boon to her music, as she has great instincts for rhythm.

There isn't a ton more to say about the album; it's a collection of eighties style dance songs, great rhythms, not a lot of depth or variety. Thankfully, Abdul and her producers are fully aware of her weaknesses, and unlike many performers, she doesn't try to be something she isn't. If you like "Straight Up", you'll probably enjoy the whole album; if not, you won't miss anything by skipping it.