The other day, Kodakboi and I were discussing artists who need to retire from the industry before they ruin their already faltering brand. In 2008, we saw a host of comebacks, some were successful and some were very unsuccessful.
In my opinion, an example of perfectly orchestrated comeback is that of Paula Abdul. In 2008, she had a single, a music video, and a performance at the Super Bowl. All of which did pretty well. However, instead of taking this moderate achievement as a sign to come out with an album and do a world tour, she sat her a** back down, and let people remember her artistry in a positive light…
This Throwback Thursday will focus on Paula Abdul and when she used to be the hottest chick in the game…
I used to have the biggest crush on Paul Abdul. She had the looks, she was fly, and she was one of the first racially ambiguous chicks to make it big. Back in 1992, I would have sworn out to you that she was just light-skinned.
I digress...
Let’s revisit how the former LA Lakers Cheerleader and choreographer to Janet Jackson achieved status in the industry.
In 1988, Abdul released her pop debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album took 62 weeks to hit #1 on Billboard 200 album sales chart — the longest an album has been on the market before hitting #1 — and spent 10 weeks there. It spawned four #1 singles (three in 1989 and one in 1990): "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me. She also released a remix album, Shut Up and Dance, which reached #7 on Billboard's album chart, becoming one of the most successful remix albums to date.
Abdul's follow-up album, 1991's Spellbound, contained another string of hits, and sold 13 million copies worldwide. She even had a track, entitled "U,” that was written for Paula by Prince. She also went on a world tour, the "Under My Spell Tour", which was named by an MTV contest for fans. At the same time, she became spokesperson for Diet Coke and starred in commercial in which she danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly. Within a span of four years, Abdul won a Grammy, an Emmy, two AMAs and two VMAs. She was seriously the baddest chick in the game.
After suffering through bouts of depression and bulimia, she released another album in 1995, Head Over Heels. Unfortunately the success or lack thereof of her last album served as proof that her time was up. Nonetheless, no one will ever forget when Paula Abdul was the hottest chick in the game. Check out some of her stuff below:
Of course, you can't even think about Paula Abdul without thinking about this song:
And this used to be my s***:
WillyTee for KiDDuNot.com
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