The 'Opposites Attract' singer opened up to ET about hitting the road for the first time in 25 years for her 'Straight Up Paula! Tour,' which kicks off Oct. 3.
Paula Abdul is headlining her first solo tour in 25 years, and the pop icon is opening up about hitting the road after all this time.
Speaking with ET's Keltie Knight, the former American Idol star and legendary performer revealed why she decided to embark on her new Straight Up Paula! Tour.
"It's been decades since I've done my own tour, um, but I had a great taste of what it's like being on the road last summer with the New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men, and had a great time," Abdul, 56, shared. "It was just a real warm welcome and [it reminded me] of how it felt like when I was on the road constantly years and years ago."
However, the "Cold Hearted" songstress said her upcoming solo tour is going to be a lot different from the sets she performed while touring with other groups, where she had to cram a lot of songs into a very short amount of time.
"It was in your face and it was so fast and it was so furious and there was no time to, like, engage as much with the audience as I will this time," she explained. "I'm at my best when I'm being creative and I have a lot of real cool things that I want to do [to] bring that nostalgia back to all my fans."
However, life on the road is going to be a big change for the singer, and she's already figured out the core things she needs on her tour bus to make the experience work for her.
"A Chihuahua," said Abdul, who's been a proud and adoring owner of Chihuahuas for years.
"[And] good healthy snacks," she continued, listing off her must-haves. "Definitely cable. There has to be DirecTV, or Apple TV… [also] Whole Foods runs."
Straight Up Paula! will take Abdul on a seven-week, 26-city tour, starting in October -- so what can diehard fans expect to see? Well, it turns out MC Skat Kat -- from her iconic "Opposites Attract" music video, will likely be making an appearance.
"Scat Kat, yeah, he'll be there. Whether I like it or not he'll be there. He'll find his way," Abdul joked. "But yeah, they're gonna be a couple surprises."
And when it comes to surprises, one of the biggest questions is whether or not the singer's going to be debuting some new music -- and Abdul played very coy about the possibility.
"There could be," she said evasively. "We don't know yet. We don't know."
In the lead-up to the kick-off of her tour, Abdul says the one thing that really scares her is the impending deadline of having everything set and ready.
"There aren't enough days. It's like, every 24 hours that go by I'm like, 'Oh, s**t! It's one less day [until] my first show!'" she explained. "It's really close, especially [considering] everything you put into a tour. It's everything -- hiring your crew, the creative team, the buses, costuming, the dancers, producers, music, all of it! There aren't enough hours in the day."
However, in spite of the challenges, Abdul says she's excited to be headlining a solo tour, and she's happy to see the outpouring of support and positivity surrounding her latest outing.
"I didn't know whether or not people would care if I came back after 20-plus years, but it was very heartwarming and it felt incredible," she shared. "I don't take anything for granted. I was very surprised and my heart was swelling, it really was."
Abdul's Straight Up Paula! Tour kicks off Oct. 3. Tickets go on sale July 13.
RELATED CONTENT:
