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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices