Paula Abdul
Long before American Idol, X-Factor, and So You Think You Can Dance, Paula Abdul had huge hits with tracks like “Straight Up” and “Opposites Attract,” the latter becoming immortal if only for the ‘toontown video co-starring an animated MC Scat Cat. Both videos were highlighted by the same sort of diva choreography since popularized by next-gen models like Beyonce and Nicki Minaj, so the time may indeed be ripe for the comeback tour that brings her first solo outing in a quarter century to San Diego.
Her half-dozen or so hits also included “Rush Rush,” “Cold Hearted,” “The Promise of a New Day,” and “Forever Your Girl,” but it’s the deep cuts from her 1988-1995 back catalogue that hold the most promise. Obscure gems she wasn’t able to pull from the vault for last year’s pop package tour with New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men would include “Knocked Out” (co-written and produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid) and left field but well-conceived covers she’s recorded over her career, such as Prince’s “U” and John Hiatt’s “Alright Tonight.”