Paula Abdul Steals The Show At The 2019 Billboard Music Awards Two Weeks After Her Father’s Death

It has been a long time since Paula Abdul dropped a new album, but that doesn’t mean we want her to stop performing the hits we all know and love.

The 56-year-old entertainer clearly hasn’t aged a day and knows how to put on a stellar performance still. The “Straight Up” hitmaker made a huge impact at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards last night after the passing of her father two weeks ago. According to People, the legend said the performance was for her parents. Abdul’s mother has also passed away but in 2018.

“For me, I think if you align yourself in that heart space what you love to do, then you’re on the right path. You have to be willing to make sharp left turns and sharp right turns … It’s hard to make it in this business. You can’t take things too seriously, and as I get older the more I’m in the moment, the more I appreciate everything that’s going on,” she said to E! News at the red carpet pre-show.

“I’m doing it for my mom and my dad!”

The medley of songs Abdul performed included her string of No. 1 hits — “Straight Up,” “Opposites Attract,” “Cold Hearted,” and “Forever Your Girl.” Her breakthrough top three hit “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me” was also included.

Her performance included different choreography for each hit. At one point, she bravely did a stage dive into her dancer’s arms that wowed the audience. At the end, she received a standing ovation.

The same night, she posed with Taylor Swift backstage with her two cats, which she shared to her Instagram account.

Paula herself broke the news of her father’s death via social media. She captioned her post with a heartfelt message and lots of photos she has had with him over the years. He passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease at 85-years-old, which The Inquisitr reported.

It’s onward and upward for Miss Abdul as she announced on her Twitter account that she will be embarking on her own Las Vegas residency this year. The show is titled after her debut album, Forever Your Girl, which will take place at the Flamingo. She is set to perform a stint of shows in August, October, and January next year. Tickets for the residency will go on sale this Saturday.

On social media, Paula has a loyal following. On Twitter, she has over 2.1 million followers, while on Instagram, she has over 260,000 followers.