Forever Your Girl (song)

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"Forever Your Girl"
Single by Paula Abdul
from the album Forever Your Girl
B-side"Next to You"
ReleasedFebruary 20, 1989
RecordedNovember 1987–January 1988[1]
Genre
Length4:58
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Oliver Leiber
Producer(s)Oliver Leiber
Paula Abdul singles chronology
"Straight Up"
(1988) 		"Forever Your Girl"
(1989) 		"Cold Hearted"
(1989)

"Forever Your Girl" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written and produced by Oliver Leiber, with additional production by Keith "K.C." Cohen. Virgin Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 20, 1989.

"Forever Your Girl" spent two weeks at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1989, reached number 28 on the Dance Club Songs chart, and number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Composition and lyrics[edit]

The song is about loyalty in a relationship. The female vocalist proclaims that, despite rumors that others may be interested in her, none of those matter because she will remain faithful to the man she loves; she will remain "forever his girl." The single version differs slightly from the album version, as it uses more of the background male vocal featuring the Wild Pair, Bruce DeShazer, and Marvin Gunn.

Critical reception[edit]

Eleanor Levy left an ironically negative review on this single for British music newspaper Record Mirror. She called it "a disappointingly predictable pop song".[3]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by David Fincher, and features Abdul acting as a choreographer and director of a children's performance. A young Elijah Wood appears in the video, playing the kid in the suit.[4]

Track listings[edit]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Forever Your Girl.[12]

  • Oliver Leiber – songwriter, producer, arrangement, drum programming, keyboards, guitar
  • Keith "K.C." Cohen – producer, mixing
  • Steve Weise – engineering
  • Paula Abdul – lead vocals, background vocals
  • St. Paul – bass, organ
  • Troy Williams – alto saxophone
  • The Wild Pair – background vocals
  • Tami Day – background vocals
  • Lucia Newell – background vocals
  • Jeff Lorber – additional drum programming, keyboards
  • Dan Hersch – mastering

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[37] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States February 20, 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Virgin [citation needed]
United Kingdom May 15, 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • mini-CD
  • cassette
 Siren [38][39]
Japan May 21, 1989 Mini-CD
  • Virgin Japan
  • Siren
 [40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Oliver Leiber : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.
  2. ^ Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ Levy, Eleanor (27 May 1989). "Review: Paula Abdul — Forever Your Girl" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 29. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
  4. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 14, 2021). "The Number Ones: Paula Abdul's 'Forever Your Girl'". Stereogum. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Forever Your Girl (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1989. 7-99230.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Forever Your Girl (US cassette single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1989. 4-99230.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Forever Your Girl (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1989. 0-96565.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Forever Your Girl (UK & Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records, Siren Records. 1989. SRNT 112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Forever Your Girl (UK mini-CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Siren Records. 1989. SRNCD 112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Forever Your Girl (Australian cassette single sleeve). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records, Siren Records. 1989. SRNC112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Forever Your Girl (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Japan, Siren Records. 1989. VJD-10207.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Virgin Records (1988). Forever Your Girl (Media notes). Paula Abdul.
  13. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2014-01-17". Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2015 – via Imgur.
  14. ^ "Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  15. ^ Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 18. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6352." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6364." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  18. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 26. July 1, 1989. p. V. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  19. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  20. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Forever Your Girl". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 23, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  22. ^ "Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  23. ^ "Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  24. ^ "Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  26. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  27. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  28. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  29. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  30. ^ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  31. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles: May 20, 1989". Cash Box. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  32. ^ "The Back Page". Radio & Records. June 30, 1989. p. 96. ProQuest 1017223240.
  33. ^ "The Back Page". Radio & Records. June 9, 1989. p. 96. ProQuest 1017215974.
  34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM. Retrieved September 16, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  36. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  38. ^ "Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl". Music Week. May 6, 1989. p. 1.
  39. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. May 13, 1989. p. 26.
  40. ^ "Fōebā Yua Gāru | Pōra Abudoru" フォーエバー・ユア・ガール | ポーラ・アブドル [Forever Your Girl | Paula Abdul] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
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