It would appear that it is a year of diva comebacks with Britney Spears and Janet Jackson releasing some of their strongest songs in years. This week, Senior Writer Doug Evasick takes a look at the most unfoerseen of recent comebacks, Paula Abdul (pictured below) and her new single, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.”

Despite Abdul’s resurrection on “American Idol,” nobody thought the loopy judge who never says anything cruel or even constructive would make a comeback 13 years after her last album of new material.

Still, because of Abdul’s quick fall from grace in the mid-’90s, which included bulimia and lawsuits, people often forget just how popular and beloved she once was. Two No. 1 albums, six No. 1 singles and a series of innovative, eye-catching dance videos made Abdul a superstar, who, for a short time, sold more records than
Madonna and Whitney Houston.

Abdul was never the most gifted singer, but at least she never lip synched like many of today’s pop stars and made up for her tiny vocals with some genuine charm, spunk and sense of unadulterated fun.

Her new single comes as a surprise not only for being released, but also because it sounds fresh and modern. Produced by Idol co-judge Randy Jackson, the song sounds like today’s club-ready pop stars such as Nelly Furtado and Spears.

In fact, the only problem with the record is that it sounds too much like every other Timbaland produced dance hit that has been making the rounds. It also doesn’t sound like Abdul. Her vocals seem to be so processed that it could pass for any new pop star trying to get onto TRL. “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” is only a tease for a new Abdul album, as it is actually being released on a Jackson–
produced compilation — though rumor has it that an album might be on the way soon called “Abdulmatic.”

Even if this comeback ends up being huge, Abdul will never be considered an artist for the ages. Yet, in an era of disposable pop stars and guilty pleasures, Abdul proves she is still one of the biggest pop pleasures around.