Top 10 Reasons You Should Know Normani

Ever heard of a little group called Fifth Harmony? The Miami-based musical act broke out in 2015 as a force to be reckoned with when they released their debut full length album, Reflection. Some of their most notable singles include "Worth It" and ’“Work from Home” - the latter released as a standalone single. However, Camilla Cabello would ultimately leave the group before the end of 2016 to pursue a solo career. The thing is, Cabello’s not the only member with major star power. Normani is one seriously freaking talented performer, with an incredible set of pipes and arguably the best dance moves in the group, and so it was only a matter of time until she followed suit. As of 2018, Fifth Harmony, as a four piece, has officially been on hiatus.

As early as 2015, Normani was distinguishing herself from her Fifth Harmony peers by releasing a number of videos of herself doing both dance routines to popular songs, as well as covers. Soon enough, she was popping up in music videos for other artists as well. It’s safe to say that the last few years have seen her success and reputation grow at an exponential rate. Flash forward to 2019 and she’s landing on the cover of Billboard magazine, setting Spotify records, breaking the internet with her music video for “Motivation” and performing at the VMAs. And she’s doing ALL of it without even having released an album yet. Also worth considering… as of 2019, she’s only 23 years old!

Normani’s talent is undeniable, but as countless musicians around the world will tell you, it takes more than talent to make it in the industry - you also need perseverance. Normani grew up in New Orleans, but in 2005, tragedy struck in the form of Hurricane Katrina. And so at the age of 9, Normani was forced to pack up with her family and relocate to Houston, Texas. This came just a few years after Normani’s mother survived a difficult battle with breast cancer. Family is hugely important to the artist, and she credits them with giving her strength. She has also faced racism and cyberbullying throughout her career. So yeah, we think it’s safe to say that Normani is the definition of perseverance.

It was on season 24 of “Dancing with the Stars” that Normani first really opened up about the hardships she faced as a child. She would ultimately wind up finishing third place in the competition, but many fans took to social media to express their shock and dismay that she didn’t claim the top spot considering how well she performed. Third is an all too familiar place for Normani; that’s where Fifth Harmony finished when they competed on “The X Factor.” With shows like this, you rarely expect to see the artists amount to much after the finale, but Normani and the girls of Fifth Harmony are a reminder that every now and then, reality talent shows do find true stars in the making.

Remember how we were talking about perseverance earlier? Well, Normani, with the support of her family, has been chasing her dreams of making it in the industry since she was very young. She was just three years old when she started competing in dance, gymnastics and pageants. By 13, she had already recorded her first song, having found her voice with gospel music. Just two years later, at 15, she was auditioning for “The X Factor.” 15 feels incredibly young, but by that point, she’d also been working towards her goals for 12 years. It was a three-year-old Normani, who, watching Annie as child on her grandmother’s floor, declared her intention to be a performer. And she’s made that toddler proud!

Normani doesn’t just want to be a success; she wants to use her position as a public figure to do something positive. As previously mentioned, Normani has been victim of racism throughout her life, and with her music, she hopes to provide a positive message - particularly for young black girls. She’s spoken openly and honestly about feeling that part of the reason she was often relegated to the background of Fifth Harmony was because of her skin color. Speaking with Rolling Stone, she stated: “There’s a responsibility I have as a black woman — one of the very few to have the power to kill it. Even in the mainstream, there’s not many of us. Especially ­chocolate girls.” And killing it is exactly what she’s doing.

Normani’s debut album hasn’t even dropped, and yet she’s already being called the next pop icon. Stars can usually recognize one of their own in the making, and it’s safe to say that many people are believing the hype. After appearing in his music video for "Young Dumb & Broke", Normani recorded a duet with Khalid, entitled “Love Lies”. Since then, she’s also collaborated with Calvin Harris on an EP, Jessie Reyez, 6lack (pronounced black), Sam Smith and Quavo. As if that’s not enough, 2018 also saw her opening for Ariana Grande, who, wouldn’t you know it, she’s also been writing with. Add to that the fact that she’s got Pharrell onboard doing production work, and Normani’s shaping up to be an artist with a lot of clout.

Putting out a critically-acclaimed album is important… but success in the music industry is most often measured by the success of singles. And by that metric, Normani is looking rock solid. “Dancing with a Stranger” managed to climb to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her collaboration with Khalid, “Love Lies”, got off to a slower start, but it proved to be a sleeper hit that charted around the world - even going triple platinum in America, where it peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It managed to reach #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 pop radio chart, and remained on that chart for a staggering 54 weeks. That’s the longest run since LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem: in 2012.

Normani has wanted to be a performer since she was a young child. As such, you can bet that she obsessed over music videos growing up. In “Motivation,” the young up-and-coming star shines bright, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has what it takes to become one of the greats. But, she does so in a way that shows respect and reverence for the powerful female musical icons she grew up watching on tv; It’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time," “I’m Real” by Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Kelly Rowland - she’s got nods for all of them. Of course, it’s the “Crazy in Love” vibes that are sure to hit you the hardest.

Normani clearly has a lot of love and respect for the pantheon of female pop icons, but if there’s one legend she seems to put on a pedestal above all others, it’s Queen Bey. She’s even admitted that when given the choice between Dallas or Houston when it came time to move after Hurricane Katrina, she chose Houston partly because that’s where Beyoncé is from. Normani now often gets compared to her musical idol, but she remains humble. According to a 2018 interview, she eventually got to meet Queen Bey - and Beyoncé apparently already knew her well and had nothing but praise for the young up-and-comer. And when Queen Bey is a fan, you know legions of listeners aren’t far behind.