Review Summary: "Spellbound" is that record that demonstrates that outside of hits, there is a desire to consciously take risks.
Paula Abdul's life changed one second in the summer of 1988. From a modest dancer, the 26-year-old native of San Fernando turned into an incendiary pop star of the outgoing decade.
She is an example of a young and talented genius who correctly managed business contacts. As a choreographer for the Jackson family, Abdul not only knew how to put on an excellent concert number, but also try herself in new creative endeavors.
Released in 1988, the debut album with the luscious title "Forever Your Girl" became an international hit on both sides of the Atlantic. In many ways, success was associated with the R&B/new swing sound, which successfully fit into the horizon of radio waves of the late 1980s. Later, "Billboard" will call this triumph the most successful debut album in history: four hits from it took top places in the charts - a record that remains in Paula's arsenal.
At first, the album did not inspire confidence in anyone and sold poorly. The first singles, even under patronage, could not get into the charts. Everything has changed since the DJs began to play "Straight Up" in one of the clubs. The provocative song, expressing doubts about the need to maintain one-night relations, was the main pop hit of the season, and indeed the masterfully staged video gained recognition. The tick in the clip is clear, I can’t deny this.
One question until the last moments remained without a direct answer. Is Paula Abdul a story for one day or is she really set for a long musical career? Time has resolved this dilemma.
In 1991, Abdul's second album, entitled "Spellbound," was released on the shelves. The artist was already honored in show business; a year earlier, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and received a Grammy Award from academics who were intolerant of pop artists.
The lead single "Rush Rush," which, concurrently - the first ballad in Abdul's career was a big enough risk for Virgin Records. Will the public seriously take a slow track from the star of dance floors? However, the first week showed that fears paid off - the song broke all possible records. Refined and romantic, "Rush Rush" combined all the best trends of R&B and adult contemporary music, and the video clip based on the 1955 film "Rebel Without a Cause" was constantly played on MTV. In my opinion, this is a worthy song, although it was especially charming that the singer did not always get into key vocally.
People who know their business had a hand in this album. The Family Stand team has already taken part in Abdul's previous work. Miraculously for the public,
Prince appeared on the album, under the authorship of which is full of eroticism "U." By the way, the potential and missed hit from this record.
Stevie Wonder brought the harmonica to "Will You Marry Me?", where the artist flirts with an old-cheeky doo-wop sound and enters the territory of
The Supremes. Like many amorous tracks dedicated to grooms and husbands, the song is full of excessive sentimentality and unrealizable hopes.
In terms of genres, "Spellbound" is magically fascinating. Here are the beginnings of house ("Vibeology"), catchy hip-hop speech ("My Foolish Heart"), and, quite unexpectedly, echoes of Jamaican sentiments ("Alright Tonight") are heard in this variety.
The success of the album was not what the heads of record companies expected from him. It sold well, but with each subsequent single, positions quickly dropped.
In show business, the "witch hunt" began: under intense media pressure, artists caught on the lip-sync occasions, were rapidly losing success.
Abdul, who was famous for unforgettable choreographic performances, did not have high vocal talents, so the coveted phonogram was a way to put on excellent numbers. The artist's live performances received such a negative reaction that it could not but affect the movement of her hits. At the same time, strong female vocals became a trend -
Mariah Carey,
Celine Dion stormed the charts with might, and main, so Paula Abdul quickly went into the background of the industry.
One thing can be said for sure: "Spellbound" was not a sophomore jinx. This is a worthy, eclectic and qualitatively built product that adequately completed the musical dominance of one of the pioneers of modern pop music.
