Normani Talks To Apple Music About Her Debut Album 'Dopamine,' Her Parents' Cancer Battle, James Blake, DK Metcalf

Normani sits down with Ebro Darden for The Ebro Show on Apple Music 1 to talk about her debut album Dopamine. She talks about how her parents’ cancer battle inspired her to finish her long-awaited album, saying “I wanted to be home more. But it was strange in turn, they needed me to continue to be out here pursuing my dreams.” She also talks about collaborating with James Blake on “Tantrums,” why she named her album Dopamine, and shares how she first met her NFL beau DK Metcalf. 

  

 Normani Talks To Apple Music About How Her Parents’ Cancer Battle Inspired Her To Finish Her Album…. 

Normani: Man, I feel like it's been, obviously it's been such an extensive journey. I'm going to try to speak without getting too emotional, but I’ve just had so many roadblocks I would say that people didn't necessarily know were taking place and things that were beyond my control. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and then the following year after going through that as a family, my dad ended up getting diagnosed with prostate cancer. So I'm sure, as you can imagine, having to endure that while also trying to continue to get the ball down the field and get this project out. It just came with a lot. There were days that honestly, I didn't feel like getting out of bed. It's hard to be creative and hard to be motivated and continue to be inspired because I'm like this is life or death. These are my parents. These are the only two that I have and the only two that I will ever have. 

Ebro Darden: God bless you. 

Normani: Yes, thank you. But I wanted to be home more. But it was strange in turn, they needed me to continue to be out here pursuing my dreams. I literally remember both of them being in treatment, my mom was in chemotherapy and she would literally, we'd be on FaceTime and she's like, "How was the studio today? What new songs did you create? I want to hear everything." Just still so excited and encouraging and supportive of me in a time that was her lowest, especially with having to go through breast cancer. This was actually her second time. The first time I was five. But this hit totally different because I was old enough to really grasp and understand what was really taking place and the severity of it. But yeah, it's like I'm like, fuck all this. I need to go home. I need to be there for my family. I did have windows and opportunities to do so, but they really just, they encouraged and wanted me... They needed me to be out here. 

Normani Tells Apple Music How She Feels Now That Her Debut Album Is Out… I think I'm in a season of gratitude. I am not sure how, in spite of everything that's led me to this point, good and bad. I'm just grateful that I still get the opportunity to come and sit with you and talk about music, which is what I love first and foremost. Aside from the politics, aside from the business of everything, I know I love music. That's me. That's who I am through and through. I'm an entertainer. I love to get on stage and perform. There's no better feeling I feel than that. So, I feel like I have to just continue to remind myself of the why. 

Normani Tells Apple Music About First Meeting NFL Boyfriend DK Metcalf… 

Normani: It was actually, I think I went to... Doja had something with ELLE or something. She was being honored. I went to that. I went to another one of my friend's release parties. Then Ciara, she kept texting me. She had an alcohol brand that she was releasing, but she was really adamant about me coming. Very adamant. I'm like, okay, yeah, I'm going to stop by. I'm going to come. I'm definitely going to come. But I just knew it was something else because she was just very adamant. When I was on the way, she was like, oh yeah, your boy's going to be there. I said, okay. I see. I see what she was trying to do here. They did the same to him. Once he was already there. They was playing cupid. But it worked. 

Ebro Darden: He's listened to these records. 

Normani: Oh yeah, he's heard the project. 

Ebro Darden: All right. Are any of these dedications? 

Normani: He's inspired a few of the records. My dad's listening too. 

Normani Tells Apple Music Why She Named The Album ‘Dopamine’… I went through a handful of different titles and obviously it's been such an extensive process. So throughout the evolution, the music changed too. Me and my creative director, Kwasi, we just worked tirelessly, relentlessly. Really the music inspired it. I wanted to represent just where I am and also owning who I am. I feel like my role in, I don't know, music. My fans have been waiting. I don't think that it's a common experience. It's pretty unique for people to still be waiting this long. And like I said, I'm grateful for that. So, I like to think of this record as the dopamine hit. 

Normani Talks To Apple Music About Collaborating With James Blake On The Song “Tantrums”… Ebro Darden: One of my favorites on here is “Tantrums” with the great James Blake. 

Normani: Yes, that's actually my favorite. I'm not going to even say one of my favorites. That's my favorite song. I feel like I was just able to be experimental. I was able to explore different parts of myself I feel that people haven't necessarily heard. Really, I'm a huge fan of James Blake. “Retrograde” is one of my favorite songs. I didn't feel like there was any expectation of me going in creating that song. I think that at times it's like, okay, do we have this covered? Do we have this covered? But in that record specifically, I felt like I was just able to be, and it was very freeing within that process. He's one of the best people, honestly, that I know. 

Ebro Darden: When people collaborate with James Blake, it's a phenomenal experience for them. 

Normani: But as a person, this record probably went through the most changes. We had a lot of different versions of this song, but he was down from beginning to end. No complaints. 

 

Normani Talks To Apple Music About Holding Herself To A High Standard For Her Fans… No, I feel like everything that everybody thinks are things that I've already thought, which is why I feel like there's probably such a misconception when it comes to, oh, does she just have better things to do? Or is the music not important? It's because the music is everything to me. I care so much about what I put out, especially for my fans who have waited this long. So I really strive to, and I don't want to use the word, I'm not going to use the word perfection, but I wanted it to be of standard for them specifically because I know that they've waited this long. That is also a thought. Music is consumed in such a different way now, and I feel like we're in a totally different time. So yeah, I've definitely thought about that. But I’m just like, I've trusted myself, I feel like, and I'm willing to bet on me no matter what time the project ended up coming out. But like I said, I did the best with the cards that I was dealt and what I was given. I'm just grateful.

Also checkout www.spatehiphopvideos.com, www.spatehiphoppodcast.com, www.spatecelebritynews.com,www.themusicconsultants.com, www.thebassguitarplayer.com, www.musicmarketing.biz, www.spatemedia.info, www.antoineking.com, www.spatedigital.biz ,www.talentbuyersconnect.com ,www.theplaylistgods.com