Normani battled self-doubts while making her début solo album, Dopamine. The 28 year-old singer embarked on a solo career after Fifth Harmony announced their hiatus in 2018 – but she has faced lots of challenges and delays.
During an appearance on the Zach Sang Show, Normani explained, “I deserve to enjoy what I’m doing, and I would definitely say that I wish I enjoyed this process a lot more than I did. But there were so many different things attached to it. So, next time, I’m going to be like, ‘No, I’m going to have the best time ever.’”
Normani feels her new album is the best record she could’ve made in the circumstances she’s faced. The singer, who first found stardom as a teenager, added that, “I’m looking forward to enjoying myself more and being able to be present. But I did the best I could with what I was given. Like, the cards that I was dealt - it was a lot.”
Seeing her new album as a testament to her own “resilience”, the Motivation hitmaker admitted to questioning her own purpose amid her struggles.
“I think releasing this project symbolises so much more. Like, it’s a testament to me being with me this whole time, and me not giving up on myself. And my resilience, because there’s plenty of times that I honestly didn’t know if the project was going to come out, or if people still cared, or this was still where God called me.”
Dopamine was released on June 14 and features collaborations with Starrah, Gunna, James Blake and Cardi B, along with contributions from Brandy and Victoria Monét. The name of the album, she says, represents the highs and lows of her journey to get to where she is now.