Two long awaited years after giving us “Motivation,” Normani is back, better than ever, and checking in with Audacy’s Bru to talk all about it.
The past year has been challenging for all of us, and just like you, Normani had tried to find ways to pass the time creatively, and positively, with mixed results. “Honestly, I tried to become a manicurist, a nail technician,” Normani tells Bru. “Nope, tried to give myself a gel set… it just didn’t end up going too well. This is my art, this is what I could do,” Normani says about her music, “but I cannot draw, I can actually paint… I can fill in the spaces.”
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While learning something like the guitar, as Bru tried to do, is more of an “enjoyable” hobby to pick up, Normani admits “I didn’t want to actually do my nails.” More of a necessity during the lockdown, she says “I was just looking crazy, a little crusty. I couldn’t go to my nail shop. I wore my hair in braids the whole year. But honestly it was nice, because I’m such an introvert.”
“I love being dolled up,” Normani says. “This is a different me, but I love being at home watching Netflix in my sweats. If you see me on a regular day, I’m chillin’. I got my hair tied up, no make up, my hoodie – my dad always calls me the ‘Grim Reaper’ – I choose comfort over anything.”
Recruiting Cardi B. for her Aaliyah-sampled returning single “Wild Side,” Normani proves she’s more than ready for the road ahead. After archiving the entire contents of her Instagram, a few days later Normani dropped the track accompanied by a VERY NSFW, jaw-dropping music video. Comprised of vibey 2000s-era wordplay and a tried-and-true Cardi B. verse, the percussion-heavy R&B track is an undeniable smooth and sexy bop that will no doubt climb its way up the charts.
“I was initially supposed to be on this record by myself,” Normani tells us. After getting the video shoot all set, in came Cardi’s verse just a day before filming began. “I knew I wanted to do something with her; in my mind it was a no-brainer. She turned it around really, really, really quickly. She loved the song just as much as I did,” Normani says. “I remember posting a snippet on Instagram about two months ago and she ended up tweeting my mom! So, she manifested it even before I thought ‘this record.’”
Knowing that she wanted to work with Cardi on something was always present, the surprise of Cardi wanting to be on “Wild Side” herself was thrilling. “I can’t imagine if it was anything else at this point,” she says. The stars were literally just aligned.”
Ever since making her solo debut with “Motivation” in the summer of 2019, Normani’s fans have been patiently waiting for new music from the star and after teasing her LP multiple times throughout the last few years, stressing how important it is for her to get it right, it seems that time has finally come.
“New beginnings,” are on the horizon for the singer. “I haven’t had anything out in the last two years and for the first time I feel like I’m putting out music that whole-heartedly represents me and the type of music that moves my spirit,” she says. “Therefore, I’m giving everybody an opportunity to, for the first time, really see and tap into who Normani really is.”
“We’re ever-evolving, and I think that in my real life… I’m not the same person that I was even three months ago,” Normani continues. “Obviously, the pandemic has changed a lot and we have so many experiences. It’s the same thing with my art, based on where I am currently in my personal life. It ends up being represented in what I create, and to be completely honest, this was a fight. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and that being one of the hardest times of my life, this art saved me – and also her in the process.”
With a new album in the works and a tour in the planning stages for next year, Normani says she’ll be releasing “singles, singles, singles,” in the meantime while fans await the big announcements. Expect some live performances and award show appearances as well. “Getting back to it,” she says. “Like I said, I haven’t performed in the last two years… I’m ready to get on stage!”
Watch our full Audacy Check In with Normani and Bru above, and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.com/live.
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