"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released in 1988 by Virgin Records from Abdul's first album, Forever Your Girl. The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid. Babyface and Simmons provide background vocals along with Pebbles and Yvette Marine. The single hit Billboard's Dance Single Sales chart on June 11, and entered the Hot 100 chart a week later.[1]
Critical reception
Paul Mathur from Melody Maker wrote, "Paula isn't as clever as Jessica but she's almost as accomplished in the art of artifice. When she sings, plastic takes on whole new forms, Madonna looks like Joni Mitchell and I'm humming for weeks. She cuts her soul pop jib with scissors the size of shears, but she doesn't give two hoots, and for that alone we should cherish her."[2]
Chart performance
"Knocked Out" peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the first of what would be fourteen charting entries through 1995.[3]
Music video
Abdul's first music video was directed by Danny Kleinman and Limelight Film and Video Productions. The video features Abdul and her dancers working out choreography on the dance floor. It premiered to BET on June 11, 1988.[4]
^Forever Your Girl (album liner notes). Paula Abdul. Virgin Records. 1988. 90943.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)