Paula Abdul | Part 2
2026-02-25 · 45 min · 7 entities
Asserted relationships
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0.55
evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Shawn Stockman
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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music
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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music Commentary
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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music History
Entities found in this episode
concepts 5
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0.50
evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music Commentary
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0.50
evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music History
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0.40
evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music
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0.40
evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music Commentary
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0.40
evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Music History
persons 2
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0.70
evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Shawn Stockman
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0.55
evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Shawn Stockman
Episode description as stored
The demo for “Straight Up” was literally pulled out of the trash — and it changed Paula Abdul’s life. In this episode, she takes us inside the creation of Forever Your Girl, her early days at Virgin Records, and the era that connected her to Prince and Janet Jackson’s Control movement.
Paula Abdul breaks down how “Straight Up” nearly disappeared before becoming a breakout hit, the creative risks she took while building her debut album Forever Your Girl, and what it was like being one of the first artists signed during the launch of Virgin Records America. She reflects on navigating label politics, cutting creative deals in the Prince ecosystem, witnessing Janet Jackson’s Control era up close, and working alongside rising producers like L.A. Reid and Babyface. This is the behind-the-scenes story of how a discarded demo became a defining moment in late-’80s pop music.
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