Straight Up

E583029

"Straight Up" is a 1988 breakthrough pop single by Paula Abdul that became one of her signature hits and a defining song of late-1980s dance-pop.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf single
song
album Forever Your Girl NERFINISHED
artist Paula Abdul NERFINISHED
breakthroughFor Paula Abdul NERFINISHED
bSide Cold Hearted
chartPeakCountry United States NERFINISHED
chartPeakPosition 1 on Billboard Hot 100
chartPositionUSBillboardHot100 1
chronology Paula Abdul singles chronology NERFINISHED
commercialSuccess major hit
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReception positive
era late 1980s
followsSingle (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me NERFINISHED
format 12-inch single
7-inch single
CD single
cassette single
genre dance-pop
new jack swing
pop
hasInstrumentation bass
drum machines
synthesizers
hasTempo up-tempo
includedIn Paula Abdul greatest hits compilations
influencedByEra 1980s dance-pop sound
language English
length about 4 minutes
lyricalSubject demanding honesty in a relationship
musicVideoDirector David Fincher NERFINISHED
musicVideoStyle black-and-white
notableFor being a defining late-1980s dance-pop hit
helping establish Paula Abdul as a major pop star
partOfAlbum Forever Your Girl NERFINISHED
performer Paula Abdul NERFINISHED
precedesSingle Forever Your Girl NERFINISHED
producer Elliot Wolff NERFINISHED
recordingPeriod late 1980s
recordLabel Virgin Records
Virgin Records America NERFINISHED
releaseYear 1988
signatureSongOf Paula Abdul NERFINISHED
singleReleaseYear 1988
songwriter Elliot Wolff NERFINISHED
theme romantic uncertainty
vocalStyle rhythmic pop vocal

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Work Out hasSample Straight Up
Paula Abdul knownFor Straight Up
Work Out sampledWork Straight Up