Normani: “Where I come from, we were all about female empowerment.”
The rising star, Normani recently opened up about her debut album, the new era of powerful musicians of colour and her experience working alongside Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for the ‘WAP’ music video. Since her former group, Fifth Harmony, decided to take an indefinite hiatus in 2018, the star’s solo career has simply blossomed. And for her, joining forces with black musicians for an empowering new anthem, was a big step in her career.
Normani & Black Representation
“The ‘WAP’ video I was really, really excited to be a part of, just because I feel like we’re in a time in music where women — and Black women — are really on top, which is something I feel like we haven’t seen in a very, very long time,” Normani confessed. With artists like Lizzo, Beyonce, Doja Cat and many more claiming the spotlight, it’s hard to ignore their talent and constant call for change. Be it body positivity, black representation, self-acceptance – these stars are breaking barriers everyday.
Normani continued, “Where I come from, we were all about female empowerment. The fact that I could be a part of such a special moment embracing our sexuality, in which I definitely think there’s a double standard, [was exciting] to be a part of it.”
A Whirlwind of Success
Now, speaking of working alongside some very talented artists, Normani has enjoyed her fair share of just that over the past few years. Back in early 2019, she tied up with Sam Smith for ‘Dancing with A Stranger‘. And soon after, Normani became the fastest solo artist (without an album) to surpass one billion combined streams on Spotify.
2019 saw her next join forces with Nicki Minaj for the track, ‘Bad To You’. This tune found a space on the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack. Her experimentation with film scores didn’t stop there. Soon enough, she also put out a track for the DC hit, Birds of Prey. Titled, ‘Diamonds’ this was in league with Megan Thee Stallion, and who knew the two would meetup just a couple months later for an even bigger project?
Speaking of her upcoming debut studio album, Normani confessed, “There’s so much expectation that I have for myself, so adding [fans’ expectations] onto that can be a lot, but it really does motivate me. I really want to create a body of work that’s going to count, you know? I’m never going to get my first album back.”
The young star also admitted that the past few months have lead to a lot of personal growth for her. With enough time on her hands, she’s been able to rediscover herself, like never before. And with her debut album, we’ll get to see the artist embrace a new version of herself. It will “be an opportunity for the public to be able to get to know me in a way that they haven’t been able to before,” she concluded.
By: Nina Karun
