1988 No. 1 Hit Sold Over a Million Copies and Became One of the Decade’s Biggest Songs
When Jazmin isn't typing the day away, she enjoys exploring nature, taking dance classes, going to the movies, and hanging out with her besties (mom and dog.) You can find her on Instagram @JazminKylene.
Most people nowadays identify Paula Abdul as a third of the unforgettable American Idol judge trio. She, alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, were tasked with discovering the hidden talent waiting for the next big break, which is how the world came to know mega stars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Yet, what many don’t know is that long before Abdul’s venture into reality television, she was once dance pop’s most riveting force.
"Straight Up,” the breakout single from Abdul’s 1988 debut album Forever Your Girl, completely established the genre and found itself to be sonically inescapable. Reaching the top 10 in at least 16 countries while accompanied by a music video directed by David Fincher, “Straight Up” is forever cemented in music history and earned Abdul not only her first Grammy nomination, but a forever promised slot in the hierarchy of pop idols. Here’s how she made a name for herself by creating one of the most iconic hits of the late ‘80s.
Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" Was a Huge Hit
Long before Paula Abdul was a television judge, and even before she was a singer, Abdul was much better known as a choreographer. She worked with major artists like Janet Jackson and even choreographed for the Los Angeles Lakers cheerleaders, with a signature pop dance style that was all the rave back in the 1980s. Yet, she longed to be a recording artist, and never knew if her success as a dancer would translate over to this new venture. And truthfully, in the beginning, it didn’t. It wasn’t until “Straight Up,” the dance-pop track blending an emerging new jack swing sound, came into the picture that Abdul suddenly skyrocketed.
Written and produced by Elliot Wolff, the song embodied everything that late ‘80s radio seemingly devoured. It lyrically sang about the pressure of a noncommittal romance draped over a dynamic, pop-funk sonic landscape. Yet, thanks to push back, it almost didn’t come into fruition for the songstress. In fact, the demo itself was tossed in the trash by Abdul’s mother, who found it to be laughably bad. However, Abdul heard something special in it and pulled the tape back out of the trash.
Label executives also found the demo to be terrible and laughed when Abdul pitched the song, but she followed her gut and negotiated a deal: she would record two songs the label wanted if they allowed her to record “Straight Up.” Equipped with a small budget of only $3,000, she recorded the song in Wolff’s apartment bathroom with makeshift soundproofing and hopes the vision would come to life. As history would have it, the vision most certainly did.
“Straight Up” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1989 and stayed there for three weeks. The single served as Abdul’s first major hit and biggest international success, reaching the top ten in at least 16 countries. It was an inescapable track that electrified dance floors and left the entire world on a high. And this was all before the music video had even come out.
The Music Video for Paula Abdul "Straight Up"
Opening up with a widely impressive tap dancing sequence, Abdul combined all of her talents and abilities when it came to the single’s accompanying music video. She performed “Straight Up” through invigorating dance choreography in a compelling visual directed by future Hollywood filmmaker David Fincher. Going on to direct films like Fight Club, Gone Girl, and Seven, he used that same affinity for tension and shadows to give the song the edge it needed. Abdul also choreographed the routine herself, as her dance background had already proven to be a success machine. The black-and-white music video went into heavy rotation on MTV and won four awards at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Female Video, Best Choreography, Best Editing and Best Dance Video.
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“Straight Up” changed the trajectory of Abdul’s career as a recording artist entirely. It allowed the world to understand her range and ability as an artist, prompting interest in the rest of her debut project. The song’s success directly turned Forever Your Girl into a phenomenon, as the album eventually produced four number one singles. As a dancer who wasn’t sure if she’d ever break out of choreography, she was now tying Abdul with Whitney Houston for the most chart-toppers from a debut album.
“Straight Up” launched Abdul into the stratosphere and made her the household name she’s come to be today. More than three decades later, the song remains her signature hit and one of the defining pop singles of the late 1980s.
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