Now, suddenly, she has the No. 1 song in America, thanks to the speedy rise of "Straight Up," which moved up from No. 2 to end the one-week reign of Sheriff's "When I'm With You" (now No. 2).

Actually, Abdul has been on the verge of musical stardom for months, with successes on the dance lists with "Knocked Out" and "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me." Although those two songs weren't major hits with pop listeners, the momentum they generated led to instant radio play for "Straight Up," which also is rising fast on the dance and black charts.