Normani’s ending the year where she loves the most: on stage.
On Thursday night, the R&B superstar performed songs from her debut album, Dopamine, for only the second time ever. To a crowd packed with influencers from Markell Washington to AdamTheFlop, Normani was all smiles as she delivered a choreography-packed set at the annual Spotify Wrapped party in Los Angeles. The show marked only a mere preview of what she has in store for the new year.
“I have so much energy that’s been pent up for such a long time that I’m excited to get back on stage and feel at home again,” she told Rolling Stone backstage before her performance. “That’s where I thrive.”
2024 was filled with lots of lessons, Normani admits. Before dropping Dopamine, she had said she was feeling a lot anxiety about releasing her solo album. “This year really forced me to surrender and not be so attached to the outcome,” she says. “I think being so attached to the outcome has stunted me. I’ve learned to move even when you’re afraid.”
Before hitting the stage at the Spotify Wrapped event, which also featured a performance from Kesha and a DJ set by the Haim sisters, Normani caught up with Rolling Stone as she teased a new album, her acting debut alongside Pedro Pascal in Freaky Tales, and why making music with her “best friend” Khalid feels just right.
How are you? You’re performing songs from Dopamine tonight.
I’m great. I’m happy. It’s the holiday spirit.I love every part of the process, but the stage is me through and through, so I’m really, really excited. I have my nieces here, too, so it’s going to be fun.
The best part of your shows is the choreography and live shows.
Even just being in the studio. I remember for a lot of the album, honestly, I would go into the studio and I’m just like, “Guys, this is a visual album.” I’m a visual artist first, and so it’s really important, even when starting with production sonically, to envision myself on stage. What am I going to perform at the VMAs? What am I going to perform, God willing, the Super Bowl? I’s cool just to see the evolution, and for it to just come into fruition.
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So you’re thinking about a tour?
Absolutely. It’s going to happen. I would definitely say the performances that you’ve seen for sure set the tone for what’s to come, but there’s even more.
You said visuals and I’m excited about visuals from Dopamine.
Yes, chile. I promise. I’ve been working diligently. Something is coming very, very soon. I know I say soon a lot, but yes, there really has been something that’s been worked on.
So Dopamine era, is she still going to stay with us for a bit?
Dopamine era, we’re only still getting started. I also have a record with Khalid coming out tonight, so I’m excited to see the response from that.
What was it like to get back with Khalid to make “Personal?”
He’s my best friend. Not just in the industry, but just in general. Working alongside somebody at the very beginning of my own solo endeavors and having a little uncertainty, he really makes me feel grounded, then and now. He’s been a constant for me and has always been so encouraging, and we have fun. It’s easy. That’s the best way that I could put it. We enjoy our time together and I feel like any time we get to work with each other, we’re kind of re-inspired. He inspires me. I pray that I also give that back to him.
What’s it like to look back at “Love Lies,” which is the very beginning of that?
I get emotional every time I listen to “Love Lies,” even to this very day. It was such a monumental moment for me and one that I didn’t even expect. It exceeded my wildest imagination and I’m grateful to God for the opportunity. I was able to be introduced as Normani because I was coming out of the group. It all happened so fast, but I couldn’t have imagined doing it with anybody else by my side. It’s still one of my favorite records to this day, both of our vocal performances.
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When we spoke a few months ago, you said you felt excited but anxious about the new music era. How do we feel about it now, now that it’s been out for six months now?
I know that it hasn’t been an easy journey. It hasn’t been an easy journey for me. And also, I know at times my fans have also gotten very frustrated, but that’s because they love me and genuinely want the best for me, and it’s beautiful to get that validation and to be reminded. Not that that should be your main focus, but it does feel good. Just seeing the response makes me feel good.
How do you deal with the fan expectations? I feel like they’ve kind of carried throughout your career, right?
I don’t know if you ever just fully have it figured out. It’s about figuring out how that works for you and what’s best for you. I have an amazing support system, and like I said, I know who my real fans are. With new heights comes new adversity. I just have to constantly remind myself of who I am and why I started doing this. I love music, I love dance, I love entertainment, and so when I keep it about that, and less about the politics and stats, it helps me stay centered and grounded.
What about your Spotify Wrapped? What’s in your top five artists and albums of this year?
Ooh, definitely Tyla. I love me some Tyla. I think that she is such a superstar. I can clock a star when I see one. She just does it for me. I’m really excited to see what she continues to do. I genuinely enjoyed her album. “Jump” is one of my favorite songs.
Have you ever connected with Tyla?
Yeah. I saw an interview a long time ago and she was just giving me my flowers. It was nice. I have to do something with her for sure, hopefully in the near future. Maybe we’ll make it happen in the new year. That would be really fun.
Speaking of the new year, what are your aspirations for 2025?
Putting lots more music out, festivals, and a tour. Leave it to me to put out a new album too, a whole new body of work. I promised I wouldn’t make you guys wait that long anymore! I’m just putting things out and moving more this year, as opposed to preparation.
It’s interesting to hear you ready for a new album because we waited so long for your debut. What’s inspiring you right now?
Life. I’m experiencing so much in such a short period that I feel like I have a lot to talk about. Dopamine was curated over four to five years, so it’s a lot of things that I had been through, but present day, I still have so much happening currently that I want to be able to talk about and share and get off just for myself.
And to finish, we’re getting Freaky Tales next year, right? What can you tell us about Normani the actor?
Shoot, I hope! She has a lot of heart, a lot of strength. It captures two young girls in Oakland in the Eighties and they’re trying to get their start. I feel like I align with Entice, my character, so much, when I just think about myself in the very beginning of my career, and especially in such a male-dominated industry. I was 16, and it just took a lot of courage and strength and guts. It was really cool to tap into a space that I’m not typically in and be creative in a different way. I felt like it was also a breath of fresh air for me to have that while working on the album. Being able to be creative outside of just music alone was refreshing. I feel like it was a palette cleanser.
