Elton John made waves last night, as he confidently wore gold platform heels while sitting atop his Pepsi throne during a minute-long Super Bowl commercial.
But before Melanie Amaro sang her way into King Elton’s heart for some Pepsi, there was another pop star who was setting trends just the same.
Back in 1990, Paula Abdul danced her way through a Diet Coke commercial with none other than Elton himself. She even “danced” alongside Gene Kelly in an award-winning commercial for the brand.
Before pop stars like Lady Gaga garnered 18 million Twitter followers, and before reality shows voted the next big thing into existence, Paula Abdul was the “it girl,” and she earned her title based on raw talent alone.
Her cute-as-a-button demeanor helped a bit, of course, but don’t forget who schooled Janet Jackson in the dance department.
From dancer to pop star, Paula reached new heights when she released “Straight Up” over 20 years ago. It’s been two decades, but her music is still as relevant as ever. With J. Cole sampling the track for his latest single, “Work Out,” there’s no getting away from the obvious. Paula is still setting the trends.
Now, how many women can say that?
Paula Abdul performs with Elton John for Diet Coke.
Paula Abdul dances with Gene Kelly in this Diet Coke commercial.
