Paula Abdul Dances to ‘Since U Been Gone’ During Kelly Clarkson’s Latest Performance
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Paula Abdul and Kelly Clarkson had the sweetest American Idol reunion at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Clarkson performed at a fundraising event hosted by Shaquille O’Neal this weekend. Abdul was front and center to cheer on the Season 1 American Idol winner as she belted some of her biggest hits.
“I love you Kelly Clarkson!” Abdul shouted from the front row. Clarkson was shocked when she saw it was Abdul who yelled during her set. She let out a laugh and encouraged everyone to sing along with her. Clarkson looked gorgeous in a dress similar to the one she wore during the Blind Auditions on The Voice.
Abdul and Clarkson first met in 2002 when Clarkson was looking to get her big break on American Idol. Abdul has since been one of Clarkson’s biggest supporters. She even said she would only come back to American Idol if the original judges plus Clarkson also came back.
Paula Abdul, Kelly Clarkson Have a Mini ‘American Idol’ Reunion
Clarkson and Abdul’s friendship goes beyond American Idol, even almost 20 years later. There’s just something so special about seeing them together, especially since Abdul had such a huge part in launching Clarkson’s career. She has become one of the most prominent voices in pop music and even has her own talk show. Clarkson hosted the Billboard Music Awards in 2019 and reunited with Abdul on stage there too. Abdul was the headlining act and performed a medley of hits.
In a video clip posted on Abdul’s Instagram from the recent fundraiser event, she rocked out as Clarkson sang “Since U Been Gone.” Halfway through the song, O’Neal joined Clarkson on stage to sing with her. He hyped her up during the high parts of the song and jumped up and down. O’Neal is no stranger to the stage because he was a rapper in the ’90s. Abdul sang along from the crowd to the hit.
Paula Abdul supporting Kelly Clarkson at The Event. She’s so proud of Kelly! pic.twitter.com/Ka1ZEXjzgT
— Paula Abdul Forever (@paulaabdul4ever) October 3, 2021
During an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show last week, O’Neal told Clarkson that “Since U Been Gone” is his go-to karaoke song. Clarkson’s 2004 hit was performed by a group of celebrities on The Tonight Show in 2019. O’Neal was included in the video. He was a little pitchy but gave it his best effort.
Imagine Dragons, Andra Day, and Justin Bieber also performed at the fundraiser event. Snoop Dogg closed out the night with O’Neal joining him on stage for a performance of “Nuthin’ But A G Thang.” The fundraiser raised over $2.7 million for Boys & Girls Club and Communities in Schools.
