If Paula Abdul were a movie star, she'd be Demi Moore. Neither woman possesses great beauty or awe-in-spiring talent, and neither exactly radiates intelligence or natural charm. Both have been able to transcend these limitations, however, by simply out-sweating the competition. These ladies work hard for the money, and so do their publicists and personal trainers.

While that work ethic continues to be esteemed by Hollywood, pop music is increasingly the domain of slackers and pseudo punks. Frankly, next to Green Day, caffeine achievers like Abdul seem very, you know, '80s.

Our Paula is back with a vengeance, though. Head Over Heels, her first album since 1991's Spellbound, boasts a whopping list of credits – a total of 28 producers and songwriters' (including Abdul herself, who co-wrote four tracks). The names range from Cab Calloway to hip-hop savant Dallas Austin. What Abdul is pursuing, apparently, is something along the lines of her buddy-turned-rival Janet Jackson's most recent album: an eclectic, contemporary pop-funk manifesto on sex and love, told from a woman's point of view. There's even a song called "If I Was Your Girl," similar in spirit to Jackson's hit "If," with the same lyrics introducing the chorus.

If she doesn't bounce back on the charts, it won't be for lack of trying Straightforward, aerobics-friendly numbers like "Crazy Cool" and "Get Your Groove On" are offset by more ambitious tracks such as "My Love Is for Real," with its swirling sitars and exotic backing vocals (the latter courtesy of Israeli singer Ofra Haza), and by lush, string-laden ballads that range from schlocky ("Cry for Me") to gently endearing ("Missing You").

Unfortunately the tunes on Head Over Heels simply don't pack the killer hooks that made earlier, hit-bound Abdul confections like "Straight Up" and "Rush Rush" impossible to resist despite the singer's thin, tinny voice. The horn-infused "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up" is catchy enough, and the similarly upbeat "Under the Influence" bubbles along nicely, fueled by shimmering electric piano and wah-wah guitar. But that's about it. One can only hope her videos will be redeemingly spectacular; in the '80s, anyway, they counted for a lot. (RS 715)

ELYSA GARDNER