It’s really, truly happening.
Normani (formerly of girl group Fifth Harmony) announced Wednesday afternoon that her long-awaited debut solo album, Dopamine, is finished and coming soon. While the pop star has released a string of hits since embarking on her solo career in 2018—including “Motivation” and “Wild Side” (featuring Cardi B)—and put on plenty of memorable televised performances, the full album had become something of an apocryphal legend, with many fans wondering if it would ever see the light of day. Finally, it seems, Normani is ready to share the project with the world.
The singer broke the news by sharing the album cover art, which features her in a black latex bikini riding a matching rocket ship. “cryingg typing this rn,” Normani captioned her Instagram post. “DOPAMINE THE ALBUM!” She quickly became a trending topic, with fans tweeting their excitement over the much-hoped-for news.
“I had a lot of growing to do,” Normani told Bustle in June 2022, explaining the delay. “I had a lot of artist development, which I feel like people don’t take seriously. They throw artists onstage completely unprepared. And for me, that mentality was very important. Now, I’ve also been very critical on myself. So I think it’s been a combination of things, but it’s definitely going to be worth the wait.”
Normani also spoke to Harper’s Bazaar (back in 2021!) about making new music at the time, and why it is imperative for her to take her time.
“I think for me more than anything, it’s bigger than the music,” she said. “I think I’m finally getting out of my own way and the world is going to be able to see what Normani represents and who she truly is musically and the growth that I’ve had in the last [few] years. It’s really a level up.”
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she’s not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey’s Twitter feed.
