Normani dives into her debut album, and gives us a dose of ‘Dopamine.’ After years in the making, the singer is ready to deliver what fans have been eagerly awaiting from her. She shares what her ‘Dopamine’ era will sound like, why she wasn’t a fan of her hit single “Motivation,” a possible Fifth Harmony reunion, working with Gunna & Cardi B and more!
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MusicTranscript
00:00I know that it's been such an extensive journey and process,
00:04but the wait, for sure, I feel like is definitely gonna be worth it.
00:08Hey, what's up, guys? It's Normani, and you're watching Billboard News.
00:15Let's talk about the first single, 159.
00:18Why was that the one you were ready to introduce this new era?
00:26For me, it's simply just feeling.
00:28And it's crazy, too, because I feel like the evolution between records,
00:32it's just, it's crazy to me.
00:34It's just, like, I love seeing the beauty,
00:36and I love, like, the process in being able to just see it in each stage.
00:40And so I remember the first time I ended up playing it,
00:42everybody was like, okay, yeah, this is cool, this is cool.
00:45And then once it was finalized, once it was done,
00:47once we got Gunna on it, like, it felt like a record.
00:50It felt like just completion.
00:52I try not to overthink it too much,
00:54which I know that sounds crazy probably coming from me.
00:56We'll talk about it.
00:57I know, we'll get there.
00:58It felt like it bridged the gap from Wild Side to where I am now.
01:02Like, it feels cohesive.
01:03It felt like it made sense, but it felt like an evolved version of.
01:06And you said finalized it and threw Gunna on there.
01:09So tell me, why did you feel he was the artist to be on this track?
01:12And what was it like working with him?
01:13I mean, I'm just a huge fan.
01:14And honestly, like, it was organic.
01:16I love vibes.
01:17I think we met at, it was a football game,
01:21and we just talked about working together.
01:23And management was just like, yo, like, what about 159?
01:27Because we wanted to do a record together.
01:30And he loved it.
01:31Like, literally, it was just, it was immediate.
01:34I remember playing it for him.
01:35And then I also have a record on his project as well.
01:39Okay.
01:39Not sure I'm supposed to say that.
01:40A little tease though.
01:41She said it.
01:47He sounds really, really good.
01:49And I think that it's a pocket that's different for him,
01:52which I feel like I always love to do,
01:54even with Cardi back when we did Wild Side.
01:56I felt like that was seeing her in a different light
01:59on a more R&B record, a slower record.
02:04And I just feel like it was really dope
02:06to just kind of hear his chameleon, you know?
02:09Like him being a different type of character
02:11than we're used to hearing.
02:13But, you know, still gonna at the core and through and through.
02:16And then tell me about the subject matter.
02:18Why the title 159?
02:19And what did you get in the studio?
02:21What was the mood?
02:21Yeah.
02:22I mean, it's sexy.
02:23It's sensual.
02:25I am a 27-year-old woman.
02:28And it's just me owning my sexuality, you know?
02:31But in my way.
02:33And it just felt, if you know, you know.
02:37And do you feel like that happened naturally to you?
02:39Because I know growing up in this industry
02:41has to be different to do it in front of everybody.
02:43So to own your sexuality,
02:44is that something that's powerful to you at this point?
02:46I mean, it's self-government over myself, you know?
02:49Like I feel like it deserves to be celebrated.
02:52I am a woman in my divine femininity.
02:54And I feel like that's what the record kind of portrays.
03:00You know, I feel like you could really hear that.
03:02And I hope that it translates that way.
03:04But like I said, in my own way,
03:06I feel like everybody kind of has their version
03:09of what that looks like.
03:11But for me, I feel like it really is captured in this record.
03:15And I don't know.
03:16It's like, it's sensual, but it's dominant.
03:20But it also feels, I'm not going to say submissive,
03:24but just very just feminine.
03:26Me and my divine femininity.
03:28That's beautiful.
03:28Yeah, even just like sonically,
03:30aside from what it is that I'm saying.
03:31But I feel like even in the production,
03:33like you can feel that.
03:35It's euphoric.
03:36Okay, euphoric, dopamine.
03:38I'm loving the words you're giving me here.
03:40And we got to talk about the whole album.
03:41Or should I say, wheresthedamnalbum.com?
03:44Oh gosh.
03:44Hello.
03:45I mean, your fans have been so hungry for this work.
03:48So tell me about even like the social media fever
03:51and like everybody talking about it.
03:52You acknowledging it with wherethedamnalbum.com.
03:54So how does it feel to have like everybody
03:56pushing you for this project?
03:58I mean, I don't take for granted the support that I've gotten.
04:02You know, like I know that it's been
04:04such an extensive journey and process.
04:07But the wait for sure, I feel like it's definitely
04:10going to be worth it.
04:11But I'm just, to your question, I'm just really grateful.
04:14And I do feel that pressure too.
04:16You know what I'm saying?
04:16Like everybody not necessarily knowing
04:19what is going on within the process
04:21or internally or within like my personal life.
04:25I mean, I guess it's kind of expected
04:27because you don't know what you don't know.
04:28And I'm just grateful that everybody's
04:30just really excited still for this album
04:32and for this body of work.
04:33And like they've waited on me, you know,
04:35which I don't really take for granted.
04:38But I see all the comments.
04:39Like I might not be on social media or active,
04:43but I'm definitely tuned in.
04:45I know what's going on.
04:46So like I see all the comments, so.
04:49And something I want to ask you,
04:50how do you kind of like toe that line
04:52of like keeping things personal?
04:53Because some people like to put all their stuff out.
04:55They're comfortable and some people
04:56are a little bit more private.
04:57So when you see people being like, where's this?
04:59And you're like, well, you don't know
05:00what's going on with me.
05:01How do you decide like what to keep private
05:03and what to tell people?
05:04I think honestly that there's a fine line.
05:07I've just had such a really, I've
05:09had a really bad experience with social media a few years back.
05:13Like cyber bullied, pictures of me, images,
05:16like racial comments and remarks being made.
05:19And I think that that kind of, it really
05:21did shift my perspective when it comes
05:23to social media and relationships,
05:25which I'm still like working through,
05:27is being able to like trust myself in that again,
05:31which is why I'm not as active.
05:32And I'm not trying to use that like as sympathy
05:35or as an excuse, but that's just reason
05:37why I don't feel as connected when it comes to social media.
05:41But in the same breath, like my fans,
05:43they deserve, they deserve to see me.
05:46You know, like as simple as me going on a live for two minutes,
05:51that might not, I might not think
05:52that that's like the biggest thing in the world
05:55or the most grand gesture in the world,
05:56but they get so excited just like being
05:58able to lay eyes on me.
05:59So like I'm trying and I'm working through that
06:02and I'm doing my best.
06:03But granted myself grace in the process
06:05because I know my why, you know,
06:07and why it's been such a challenge,
06:09but they're funny too.
06:10Like they really, really are.
06:12They will go to bat, they will go to war for me.
06:13And I think that they just, they're ready to champion me.
06:17And I know that.
06:17So between me and my creative director,
06:20we were like, okay, let's just like,
06:23let's have a little fun.
06:24Let's try a little bit.
06:25Where's the damn album?
06:26Well, they asked, where's the damn album?
06:28But now it is finally here.
06:29So let's talk about Dopamine.
06:30Why the album named Dopamine?
06:32And why this cover?
06:34I mean, it's like I said, self-government.
06:36It is me finally stepping into,
06:40I feel like who I've been called to be, you know,
06:43like there's been so much adversity
06:45and so many roadblocks just in the process
06:48of putting this body of work out.
06:50You have no idea.
06:52I could actually probably write a book,
06:54but even in terms of like shifting teams,
06:57which is honestly been one of the greatest blessings,
06:59I feel like to this project
07:02and what it actually really does deserve.
07:05But I mean, it's just, it's me owning who I am
07:08and me being able to recognize
07:09that I've been enough this whole time.
07:13And me coming to that realization
07:16and everybody kind of being able to see me step into that
07:19and walk boldly and confidently in that.
07:22And me being the hit, me being the Dopamine.
07:25Oh yeah.
07:26And I mean, let's talk about some of the music
07:28on the project, Candy Paint.
07:33You actually teased like a year ago.
07:34I did, I did.
07:35But they got that finally.
07:36They've been begging for that.
07:38So tell me why you feel like the fans connected
07:40so strong with Candy Paint
07:41and why do you love the song?
07:42I mean, it's the beat.
07:44The production, like as soon as it comes on,
07:46you could just, it's infectious.
07:47It doesn't sound like to me anything that's out right now,
07:51but it kind of has that nostalgia.
07:52I feel like any record that I'm creating
07:55or whether it's even a visual,
07:57I feel like I'm, I love the early 2000s.
07:59Everybody I feel like knows that,
08:01like the late nineties, early 2000s.
08:03I'm heavily influenced and inspired by artists
08:07during that time.
08:08And even just like the sonics and the production.
08:10So you're going to hear that a lot throughout the album,
08:12but I know what fans want.
08:13Like they want to see me move.
08:16And Candy Paint for me, for sure.
08:18I remember, I remember playing it at a separate,
08:20a different release since I did tease it
08:23like over a year ago.
08:24So it was like, I think it was during like fair
08:26or something during that time.
08:28And just the energy, everybody could not dance.
08:31Like it's, as soon as you put it on,
08:34it's just infectious.
08:35Like you just, you feel it.
08:38And you can talk about like,
08:39obviously fans loving to see you dance.
08:40Like it's such an important part of who you are,
08:43the choreography and the visual.
08:44So tell me how involved you are with like creating
08:47and why dancing is so important to you.
08:48I mean, dance was my first love, honestly.
08:50I think it's as simple as that.
08:52Like I remember being a kid
08:54and I would actually be afraid to sing
08:56and dance just came natural for me.
08:58It was my safe space.
09:00It was my, it was the best form of communication.
09:03I feel like if I wasn't able to put it into words,
09:05it was the way that I felt comfortable expressing myself.
09:10And I felt like that was just like the truest part of me,
09:12which led me into music,
09:14which I'm forever grateful for.
09:16But I don't know.
09:18I'm just like natural born dancer through and through.
09:20That's just my bread and butter.
09:22And that's just, I'm happy when I'm doing that.
09:26I feel like I have the most joy for sure.
09:28And when you think about the album as a whole,
09:29like what songs do you feel like,
09:31are you most excited that fans get to hear now
09:33or that represent dopamine?
09:35Ooh, there's a song called,
09:39there's a song called Big Boy,
09:40which I actually did when I did the live.
09:43I posted a snippet of that.
09:46There's a record called Lights On.
09:49Like I love, it's sexy.
09:50I mean, look at this smile.
09:51Tell me why Lights On is-
09:52Can you feel it on me?
09:53I can feel it.
09:54I can feel it.
09:54Tell me why you love Lights On so much.
09:57I mean, it's really just what I was inspired by.
10:00And it reminds me like the influence.
10:03Janet was definitely,
10:05and still is one of the most influential artists,
10:08I think for me.
10:16She's definitely paved the way.
10:17And when I think of the women
10:18that I aspire to follow the footsteps of,
10:22she's definitely like up there
10:25and she's had so much impact on me.
10:27And so just like sonically,
10:30I was, you'll be able to hear the inspiration for sure.
10:34And I mean, you've had such great inspiration.
10:36You talk about Janet.
10:37You've spoken about how Beyonce's inspired you.
10:39You sampled Aaliyah on Wild Side, obviously.
10:42Brandi has spoken highly of you.
10:44Yeah.
10:44So when you have like all these like beautiful Black women
10:47kind of like funneling into you,
10:48what do you say have you taken from them as inspiration?
10:51I mean, honestly, that women that look like me can do it too.
10:54I was one of three Black kids
10:58in a predominantly white school.
10:59And so like, I think representation for me
11:01has always really been important
11:03for me to be able to go home
11:04and like watch 106 and Park
11:06and be able to see Sierras and Bees and Janets.
11:11That's what's important.
11:12That's really what matters, you know,
11:14because even if it was a small part of me that said,
11:16oh, okay, well, cool.
11:17Like they're up there.
11:19I'm also able to attain and achieve that.
11:21Like it's not so out of reach,
11:23especially during that time.
11:24I feel like the standard of beautiful,
11:26like it wasn't specifically Black girls that look like me.
11:32And so for me to be able to see them
11:33in that sort of light,
11:38it matters and it definitely counts, you know?
11:40And I hope that I'm able to do that for the next generation.
11:43Like that's honestly like, that's my why.
11:45That's my purpose.
11:47But let's throw it all the way back.
11:48I want to talk about your journey a little bit
11:50and kind of how you've arrived at Dopamine.
11:52So let's start with Motivation.
11:57I've heard from a little birdie that maybe you didn't love Motivation.
12:03No, I didn't.
12:05I didn't.
12:05I honestly, I don't know if it was so much about the song
12:09more than it was about like my reason behind not loving it.
12:12It was, I was in a girl group
12:14and we weren't able to be creative until literally the last album.
12:18And so I promised myself,
12:20like if God gives me the opportunity to do this my way,
12:25I'm going to take that seriously
12:26and I'm not going to take that for granted.
12:27Like I want to put out music that I feel really represents me
12:31and that I'm proud of
12:32and that I can wholeheartedly champion and stand behind.
12:35And do you feel like, because you were just talking about like
12:37obviously representing Blackness and the women that came before you,
12:40did that play any part in how you felt about Motivation?
12:43It definitely did.
12:44I think even like the day Motivation came out,
12:46I definitely struggled with,
12:48okay, I know what fan base I come from, right?
12:54And I don't want to neglect.
12:57That, but also I'm a Black girl
13:02that also represents an entire community.
13:05You know, like, so I definitely struggled with,
13:08okay, well is this, is this Black enough?
13:12Is this palatable enough?
13:15Like, and I had to just kind of remind myself
13:19that I'm Normani before I'm anything.
13:23Like I love, I love all sorts of music.
13:27You know, I want to be able to be genre-less
13:31and I feel like that's actually like my superpower.
13:34And I think that I have to continue to remind myself that
13:37instead of me being the one that limits myself
13:40and kind of puts myself in this like box
13:44of either being too much of this or too much of that.
13:49Like I can be all things.
13:51You can, and I mean, what blows my mind
13:53is that like you had those feelings
13:54that you were having internally about that song.
13:56But like, you know, as a consumer,
13:58I mean, you were killing it.
13:59I mean, the VMA performance, the music video,
14:01which obviously felt very Black.
14:03That was the whole point.
14:05I said, okay, y'all gonna make me put this song out?
14:08I'm gonna show you with the video.
14:10So the video was literally like, that was all me,
14:13Dave Myers, Sean.
14:15I was like, it needs to feel representative.
14:19Like, I want this to be, feel reminiscent or nostalgic
14:23of when I was able to like go home after school,
14:26turn on 106 and Park and like, I saw myself.
14:30Like, I want that.
14:31Was the basketball scene real?
14:32Like how many takes did that take?
14:34It took a lot of time, it did.
14:35Cause I was like, what?
14:36No, we practiced, we practiced that.
14:40A lot.
14:40And then of course, moving on to Wild Side,
14:42with Cardi B, Fair.
14:43How did you feel like you transitioned yourself
14:45to kind of move away from motivation?
14:47And was this like more representative of who you were?
14:49I think Wild Side, Fair was kind of like the introduction
14:53to what dopamine is from a sound perspective.
14:58Like, I feel like it really took me a moment
15:00to figure out what I like, what I didn't like
15:03and time to just experiment and explore.
15:07And if it worked, it worked.
15:08And if it didn't, it didn't.
15:09But I wanted to allow myself the opportunity
15:11to at least like play and just figure out,
15:16figure myself out, figure out what my sound was.
15:20Cause everybody could have expected me
15:21to drop an album during motivation,
15:24but I knew that I wasn't ready.
15:25Like for me, that would have been premature
15:27and I wouldn't have put out a body of work
15:28that I knew that I was proud of
15:30or would have been able to give my best, you know?
15:33No, and thank you for being so honest.
15:35I think that's a beautiful thing.
15:36And then, I mean, talk about Wild Side too.
15:37You said earlier, like working with Cardi B
15:39and like getting her in a different pocket.
15:41So how was it working with her?
15:42I know she's got to be a blast.
15:44She is, she's one of the sweetest people that I know.
15:46At that time she was pregnant and she, she delivered.
15:50Like I remember I was already in rehearsals
15:53for the music video and we got her verse,
15:56I think it was like the day before
15:58we ended up shooting the music video.
16:00She turned it around like very, very just quickly.
16:02And she's always been supportive and a champion of mine.
16:06And I've always been a fan of hers.
16:07And I don't know, I just, I love her.
16:09Like I felt, I felt safe, honestly.
16:13Because I feel like even during that time,
16:16I hadn't released music in a while.
16:17So Wild Side was kind of like another introduction.
16:22And there's nobody I feel like I would have wanted
16:24to be reintroduced with than her, honestly.
16:28And I've heard that about Cardi B so many times.
16:29Everybody says like her human as a heart,
16:32like she's a beautiful person.
16:33Yes, and she showed up, she didn't complain.
16:36Like we got everything done.
16:38And she was, she was really a trooper, like big pregnant.
16:43Big pregnant in the video.
16:44That's why she's turned around the whole time.
16:46Wow, that's incredible.
16:48Shout out to her work ethic.
16:49Yes.
16:49And I mean, you've dipped and dabbled in a lot of genres,
16:51as you said, like, so it's pop, it's been dance,
16:53it's been R&B.
16:54How has that been to take the journey through the genres?
16:57And what do you feel like is the most you?
16:58See, I can't, I can't really say what is the most me
17:02because I feel like I represent all of those things.
17:05Like I can have a Sam Smith record,
17:07but I can have a record like Wild Side with Cardi.
17:10Like, I don't want to limit myself.
17:12You know, I want to be able to be on all formats
17:15simultaneously at the same time.
17:17Like, I just, I don't, I don't see myself
17:19as an R&B artist, a pop artist specifically.
17:23Now, challenge you then.
17:25What's one, like, you know,
17:25Beyoncé just dropped a country album.
17:27She did, and she did, it's damn good.
17:30Come on now.
17:30So what's a genre you think would challenge you
17:32if you tried to jump into it?
17:33Ooh, I feel like like a, ooh, a folk album.
17:37Hold up.
17:38That sound like the Normani folk album.
17:39Hold up.
17:40I actually, and I'm not just saying this
17:42because you just put the project out,
17:43but I love country.
17:44I do love country music.
17:45And probably also, I feel like soft rock, like pop.
17:50I love Kelly Clarkson.
17:51I was just listening to Chris Daughtry.
17:53Okay.
17:54Yes.
17:55Those are idols.
17:56And then of course, if we're talking about your past,
17:58we do have to jump and talk about the girl group
17:59you mentioned earlier, Fifth Harmony.
18:01So how was it to have them support you on Dopamine?
18:04You posted about the album
18:05and everybody was in the comments.
18:06That was gorgeous.
18:07Hi, I'm Lauren Jauregui,
18:08and these are my top five songs I'm listening to right now.
18:11Ooh, and 159 by Normani.
18:19It seems like literally just yesterday,
18:21we all were babies.
18:22We were like literally babies coming into
18:26this massive industry, not knowing really anything.
18:30And I think that we really did,
18:33you know, just, we did the best with what we had.
18:35And it's just beautiful to kind of just see everybody blossom
18:38and really just like flourish and thrive
18:41in our solo endeavors.
18:42Because that was like, that was the point.
18:44I think I heard that they had commented.
18:47I'm not always, I post and then that's it.
18:51Then you ghost.
18:51I'm out, I'm out.
18:53I'm not even giving myself the opportunity or window
18:55to like look at comments or tap into that.
18:58Cause I feel like that kind of,
18:59that takes away from like my many victories, you know?
19:03So I'm more focused on that than like
19:06getting into what everybody's saying.
19:08But when I heard that they did comment,
19:09I was like, that's real.
19:11That's dope.
19:12Something else you probably didn't see
19:13because you still have the internet,
19:14but I got to tell you about it and ask you.
19:16Ally B talking to anybody and telling them,
19:19I think a reunion might be happening.
19:20You know, she, that's a little word to the street here.
19:23So are we going to see all five of you together?
19:25I just need to know.
19:26I don't know.
19:26Not, not to my knowledge,
19:28but I definitely see that being a possibility.
19:32Like in the future, I feel like that would be,
19:34I don't know.
19:34That would be like a special moment for sure.
19:38Beautiful and full circle.
19:39Full circle.
19:40Yeah.
19:41And then I do want to talk to you about your acting as well.
19:43You jumped into Freaky Tales,
19:45which premiered at Sundance.
19:46And I mean, Joe Pascal, like how cool was that?
19:49And how important is acting to you?
19:50Acting is, that's something that I'm like,
19:54I'm really excited to really just like tap into.
19:56Cause obviously like music is,
19:58it's occupied a lot of time,
20:00rightfully so, and will continue to.
20:02I don't know.
20:03Like being able to be creative in a whole different way
20:05and start from scratch,
20:08it felt really good.
20:09And it was inspiring.
20:11And I just felt like a kid in a candy store,
20:13like truthfully,
20:14and being able to be amongst people that
20:17I really admire and respect the work that they do.
20:20Like, I don't know.
20:22It made me feel, it validated me.
20:25It validated that like, okay,
20:28like you're pretty good at this acting thing.
20:30You know?
20:31And I mean, from being in a girl group
20:33to do your solo work to acting,
20:35I mean like, where do you feel like provides the challenges?
20:37Like when you do go on set,
20:38like were you nervous to be in a movie?
20:40I was definitely nervous.
20:41I think simply because it was like,
20:43I was the newbie.
20:44Like everybody else are like big vets.
20:47And this was really like my first film.
20:49So I think that alone,
20:50there are nerves that come with that.
20:52But honestly, like when I got on set
20:54between the directors who are amazing
20:57and just so patient with me
20:58and encouraging and validating,
21:01I felt comfortable.
21:02I felt safe, I would say.
21:04I felt very secure and I felt safe
21:06in being able to be vulnerable
21:08and not dumb for asking certain questions.
21:12It was a learning experience
21:13that people helped you through that.
21:15Exactly.
21:15Like I felt a lot of support.
21:17I had a lot of support throughout that process for sure.
21:19That was kind of like one of the first times
21:21I was able to, in a long time,
21:24be able to see myself and pat myself on the back
21:26and celebrate myself
21:28because I feel like here I can be so critical
21:30and I know that.
21:31But watching myself on screen,
21:33I'm like, damn, you did a solid job.
21:37Okay.
21:39And it's okay to do that sometimes, you know?
21:41I love that.
21:42And we've talked a lot about your fans, obviously,
21:44and you being private.
21:45So now that Dopamine is out,
21:47what is the message?
21:48What do you want the fans to walk away from?
21:51Walk away with, excuse me.
21:52I just, I pray that they can hear the heart,
21:55honestly, that I've put into it.
21:57It's because I care so much.
21:58And I feel like that's kind of a misconception
22:00with this project taking so long is like,
22:04that I don't, but I do.
22:05It's because I care a lot
22:07and I don't take the opportunity for granted
22:10or take it lightly.
22:11And I think that this is just like a declaration
22:13and symbolic of my evolution
22:17and the fight that I've had to put up
22:20and my resilience, you know?
22:22And being able to even get this out.
22:24Well, congratulations.
22:26Thanks so much for your candidness today.
22:27Thank you.
22:28Thank you.