Paula Abdul had a string of hits, but one of her most iconic tunes is “Straight Up.” The former “American Idol” judge shared that her mom, however, wasn’t the biggest fan during her first listen of the song.
Paula Abdul’s Mom Wasn’t a Fan of ‘Straight Up’ at First
During a March 2026 episode of Shawn Stockman’s “On That Note” podcast, Abdul recalled how her mom didn’t like the demo version of “Straight Up.”
Abdul, however, saw the song’s potential and trusted her instincts.
She explained that her mother wasn’t on board with her pursuing a music career. “My mom is pissed off at me … And when I walked out, I could hear her say, ‘I can’t believe she’s going to try to make a stupid album.’ Had she not said that, the next thing wouldn’t have happened,” Abdul said.
The singer recalled that her mom’s assistant overheard the conversation and asked if she could submit a demo that her “aspiring songwriter” boyfriend who was “studying to be a nuclear physicist” wrote.
Abdul shared, “Two days later, my mom calls me hysterically laughing on the phone, like crying laughing … She goes, ‘Paula, it’s the worst sounding piece of crap I’ve ever heard in my entire life … There are notes being sung that I’ve never even imagined that are even acknowledged or invented … It’s so bad.'”
She explained the “Straight Up” demo had “this guy singing completely off-key,” and it had them “crying laughing.”
“[She] throws it in the trash, and I went, ‘Hm.’ I put my hand in the trash, and she goes, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘There’s something about this song,'” Abdul shared, calling it “magical.”
She played it for the record label presidents and they were also unimpressed. “They’re laughing at me and looking at me like I’m the craziest person in the freaking world,” Abdul said. “And I’m laughing with them. I go, ‘I know it sounds awful … but I believe in it, and you guys believe in me.'”
After recording “Straight Up” in the songwriter’s studio apartment bathroom, she presented it to the label again.
“I turned the song into the label. They hear it again. They go, ‘Well, this is a far cry from what you played us, but it’s a B-side at best,'” she explained. “I said, ‘I think this should be my first single.'”
“Straight Up,” which was on Abdul’s debut album, “Forever Your Girl,” went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Fans Share Love for Abdul & ‘Straight Up’
Stockman posted a clip from their interview on Instagram and fans flooded the comments section, taking a trip down memory lane.
“Thank God @paulaabdul felt that there’s something about this song … [it] was such a big part of my life in high school!” one fan wrote.
“That song was the jam!!!! Brings back high school memories for me,” another fan shared.
One fan noted, “OMG! I ❤️❤️❤️ THIS SONG! It INSTANTLY takes me back to the 80s and my 8 year old self! Take me back!”
Some fans wondered if the demo is out there somewhere because they’d love a listen.
“I love the story because it’s so true,” one fan noted. “You just never know what’s gonna be a hit — sometimes it’s sitting right up under your nose.”
