Forever Your Girl | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 21, 1988 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:35 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | ||||
Paula Abdul chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Forever Your Girl | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | C [4] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Number One | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. [8] The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.
In 1987, Abdul, once a choreographer for Los Angeles Lakers and high-profile artists including George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson, used her savings to make a singing demo. [9] Soon thereafter, she was signed to Virgin Records by Jeff Ayeroff, who had worked in marketing at A&M Records with Janet Jackson. Although she was a skilled dancer and choreographer, Abdul was a relatively untrained singer, and worked with various coaches and record producers to develop her vocal ability, with her vocal range defined as mezzo-soprano. [10] [11] Ayeroff recalled signing Abdul to a recording contract years later, stating: "She said, 'I can sing, you know. I want to do an album.' Paula's in our industry. Here's someone with a personality and she's gorgeous, and she can dance. If she can sing, she could be a star. So she went into the studio and cut a demo record and she could sing." [12] The album was made on a budget of $72,000. [13]
On October 7, 1989, 64 weeks after its July 23, 1988 debut on the chart, Forever Your Girl hit number one on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, the longest an album has been on the market before hitting number one. [14] The album was eventually certified seven times Platinum in the US by the RIAA and has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. [15] It also includes four number one Billboard Hot 100 singles: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract", [15] which places Forever Your Girl in a tie (with several other artists) for second most number-one songs from a single album, and ties it for the most number ones in a debut album. She was the first female artist to have four number one singles from a debut album. "The Way That You Love Me" reached number three, and "Knocked Out" reached number 41.
The album also reached number four on the R&B album chart, while "Straight Up", "Opposites Attract", "Knocked Out", and "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" all reached the top 10 of the R&B tracks chart.
After a slow start, the album's third single "Straight Up" helped the album breakout in spring/summer 1989 after its initial summer 1988 release. Forever Your Girl hit number one for the first time on October 7, 1989. After the release of the single "Opposites Attract", the album shot to number one again on February 3, 1990, and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks.
By 1998, Billboard magazine reported that Forever Your Girl was the most successful album released by the Virgin Records label, with all five of its top 20 hits also appearing on the same chart ranking Virgin's singles. [16]
Organization | Country | Accolade | Year | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
MTV Video Music Awards | United States | Best Female Video (Straight Up) | 1989 | Won |
Best Dance Video (Straight Up) | ||||
Best Choreography in a Video (Straight Up) | ||||
Best Editing (Straight Up) | ||||
Best New Artist in a Video (Straight Up) | Nominated | |||
Breakthrough Video (Straight Up) | ||||
American Music Awards | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | 1990 | Won | |
Favorite Dance Artist | ||||
Favorite Pop Rock Album | Nominated | |||
Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist | ||||
Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | 1991 | |||
Billboard Music Awards | #1 World Album | 1990 | ||
Soul Train Awards | Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year (Straight Up) | 1990 | Nominated | |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female Artist | 1990 | Won | |
Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer | Nominated | |||
Grammy Awards | Best Vocal Performance, Female (Straight Up) | 1990 | Nominated | |
Best Music Video (Short Form) Opposites Attract | 1991 | Won | ||
Juno Awards | Canada | International Single of the Year (Straight Up) | 1990 | Nominated |
International Album of the Year | 1990 | |||
Brit Award | United Kingdom | International Breakthrough Act | 1990 | Nominated |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Way That You Love Me" | Oliver Leiber | Leiber | 5:22 |
2. | "Knocked Out" |
| 3:52 | |
3. | "Opposites Attract" | Leiber | Leiber | 4:24 |
4. | "State of Attraction" | Ballard | 4:07 | |
5. | "I Need You" | Johnson | 5:01 | |
6. | "Forever Your Girl" | Leiber | Leiber | 4:58 |
7. | "Straight Up" | Elliot Wolff | Wolff | 4:11 |
8. | "Next to You" |
| C. Williams | 4:26 |
9. | "Cold Hearted" | Wolff | Wolff | 3:51 |
10. | "One or the Other" |
| C. Williams | 4:10 |
Total length: | 44:22 |
Adapted from AllMusic. [17]
|
|
Chart | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 (Women) [41] | 10 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [42] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [43] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [44] | Gold | 10,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [45] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [46] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [48] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Spellbound is the second studio album by American singer Paula Abdul, released in May 1991. The album was an international success and spawned major radio hits with the singles "Rush Rush", "The Promise of a New Day", "Blowing Kisses in the Wind", "Vibeology" and "Will You Marry Me?". The album went triple platinum in the United States and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In addition, the album featured a song written and produced by Prince called “U”.
Gonna Make You Sweat is the debut studio album by American musical production group C+C Music Factory, released in the US on December 18, 1990. Following on the success of contemporaries Black Box and Technotronic, Gonna Make You Sweat was a worldwide smash, reaching number two on the US Billboard 200.
Shut Up and Dance: Mixes is a Paula Abdul remix album, released in 1990. It contains dance remixes of the six hit singles from Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl, one remixed album track and one medley. The album was another huge success for Abdul, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Heart of Stone is the nineteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on June 19, 1989 by Geffen Records. As of January 1991, the album has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. The album was supported by Cher's 1989–1990 Heart of Stone Tour.
Honey to the B is the debut album by the English pop singer Billie Piper, released in 1998. Known mononymously as Billie until her second album, she was the first and youngest British female artist to have a first single enter the UK singles chart at number one.
"Straight Up" is a song by American recording artist Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song is a mid-tempo dance-pop song with influence from new jack swing. Written and produced entirely by Elliot Wolff, the song was released as the album's third single on November 22, 1988, by Virgin Records.
"Forever Your Girl" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written and produced by Oliver Leiber, with additional production by Keith "K.C." Cohen. Virgin Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 20, 1989.
Hangin' Tough is the second studio album by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released on August 12, 1988, by Columbia Records. It is widely regarded as the group's breakthrough album, gaining positive reviews for their musical transition from bubblegum pop to urban contemporary, blended with popular rock music. The group's label had planned to end their contract when their 1986 debut garnered little commercial and critical attention, which nearly led to their breakup. However, Maurice Starr, the group's producer, diligently persuaded the label to let them record a second album.
Love Hurts is the twentieth studio album by American singer and actress Cher, released on June 18, 1991, by Geffen Records. The album was her final studio album with the record company after a 4-year recording contract. The lead single from the album in Europe was "The Shoop Shoop Song ", while other regions "Love and Understanding" acted as the lead. The follow-up singles were "Save Up All Your Tears", "Love Hurts", "Could've Been You" and "When Lovers Become Strangers". It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart with the sales of 19,000 copies. In November 2011, Billboard stated that Love Hurts had sold 600,000 copies in the US. In Europe the album was a major success, peaking at number one and top 10 in several countries, including the UK where it spent 6 weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Destination Anywhere is the second solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, released on June 16, 1997 and features music from the film Destination Anywhere released in the same year. It follows his successful 1990 soundtrack Blaze of Glory, from the film Young Guns II.
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a studio album by American singer/producer Linda Ronstadt, released in October 1989 by Elektra Records. Produced by Peter Asher, the album features several duets with singer Aaron Neville — two of which earned Grammy Awards — and several songs written by Jimmy Webb and Karla Bonoff. The album was a major success internationally. It sold over three million copies and was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone.
Head over Heels is the third studio album released by American singer Paula Abdul on June 13, 1995, under Virgin Records. The album features three singles "My Love Is for Real", "Crazy Cool" and "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up". To date, it is Abdul's last studio album release.
Songs is the ninth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released by Epic Records on September 20, 1994. The album, a collection of cover versions, produced the singles "Endless Love", "Always and Forever", and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". According to an interview both Vandross and Mariah Carey gave in Japan following the release of their duet "Endless Love", there was mention that Carey had given advice as to what songs Vandross would cover on this album.
Duotones is the fourth studio album by American saxophonist Kenny G, released on September 29, 1986 by Arista Records. It features one of Kenny G's best-known songs, "Songbird", which reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Out of Order is the fifteenth studio album by Rod Stewart, released in 1988. It features the hit singles "Lost in You", "Forever Young", "My Heart Can't Tell You No", and "Crazy About Her". The album was produced by Stewart and members of The Power Station: guitarist Andy Taylor, and bassist Bernard Edwards. Chic drummer Tony Thompson also plays on the record.
Forget the World is the debut studio album by Dutch music producer and DJ Afrojack. It was released on 16 May 2014. Afrojack said of the album title, "It's basically a message not just to my fans, but also to myself, to always remember to keep following your heart, keep following your path, and never try to let the things around you get you down."
It Won't Be the Last is the second studio album by American country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus. Certified Platinum in just under a year after release by the RIAA, the album has sold over 1 million copies in the US and over 3 million copies worldwide. This album produced four singles for Cyrus on the Hot Country Songs charts: "In the Heart of a Woman", "Somebody New", "Words by Heart" and "Talk Some", which reached number #3, number #9, number #12, and number #63, respectively, on the charts. The first, third and fourth singles, plus two album cuts had accompanying music videos. "Somebody New" was covered in 2008 by Jill King, whose version was released as a single, however, it did not chart.
Can't Fight Fate is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Taylor Dayne, released on October 31, 1989, by Arista Records. The album continued her chart success and was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It includes the Billboard Hot 100 singles "With Every Beat of My Heart" and "I'll Be Your Shelter", the number one "Love Will Lead You Back" and "Heart of Stone".
The discography of American singer and dancer Paula Abdul consists of three studio albums, one remix album, five compilation albums, eight video albums, eighteen singles, and seven other appearances. Having found success as a choreographer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Abdul launched her own music career with the release of her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988). The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, and to date holds the record for the longest climb to number one for an album. The project spawned a number of successful singles, and is one of only nine albums to have four singles top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went on to earn a seven-times platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Phoenix is the second studio album by British singer Rita Ora, released on 23 November 2018 through Atlantic Records UK. The release was Ora's first album since Ora in 2012. Ora announced the album on 18 September 2018 and it was made available for pre-order the same day.
rolling stone paula abdul album guide.
Forever Your Girl went on to sell 18 million records.