Album Review: Dopamine by Normani
After six years of the Fifth Harmony disbandment, Normani finally released her long-awaited, highly-anticipated debut album, but was it worth the wait?
Normani’s highly anticipated debut album has been coming for a long time, with fans eagerly awaiting its release for several years. The former Fifth Harmony member has been working on the project since the group’s hiatus in 2018, but various factors have contributed to the delay in its completion.
One reason for the prolonged wait is Normani’s desire to create a cohesive and personal body of work that truly represents her as an artist. She has been taking her time to craft an album showcasing her unique style and voice, collaborating with various producers and songwriters to ensure the best possible outcome. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic and her mother’s battle with cancer have likely impacted the album’s progress, as it has disrupted the music industry and made recording and collaboration more challenging.
Despite the delay, Normani has kept fans engaged with a string of successful singles over the past few years. In 2018, she released “Love Lies,” a duet with Khalid that peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her widespread recognition. She followed this up with a maxi-single with Calvin Harris released on Keep Cool, following up with “Waves” featuring 6LACK and “Dancing With a Stranger” with Sam Smith, showcasing her versatility as an artist. In 2019, Normani released her solo single “Motivation,” a vibrant pop and R&B track that became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its nostalgic music video and catchy hook.
More recently, Normani has continued to build anticipation for her debut album with the release of “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B in 2021 and “Fair” in 2022. “Wild Side” is a sultry R&B track that not only samples “One In a Million” but also highlights Normani’s danceability thanks to the incredible music video, while “Fair” is a ballad that showcases her emotional depth and vulnerability as Felisha Harvey (from Cherish) penned the track, but it didn’t stand out in a meaningful way. These singles have only increased fans’ excitement for the eventual release of Normani’s debut album, which promises to be a stunning showcase of her talent. Unfortunately, one of the songs didn’t make it onto the final product (spoiler: “Wilde Side” did).
Dopamine is the long-awaited title Normani has bestowed upon her debut album, a revelation six years after she cryptically tweeted, “I have my album title, y’all.” Since then, anticipation has built with each social media post from the artist, sparking fervent queries from fans eager for its release. Now, with the album’s unveiling, preceded by the single “1:59” featuring Gunna, a fresh facet of Normani arrives. This album showcases dance tracks and delves into her battles during and post-Fifth Harmony, including her parents’ cancer diagnoses and her struggles for creative autonomy early in her career.
Having spent over a decade in the spotlight as part of the platinum-selling girl group, Normani is no stranger to public scrutiny or industry pressure. Unlike many artists who might find constant inquiries about forthcoming projects exasperating, Normani stabilizes this aspect of her career. At 28 years old and with significant experience under her belt, she manages to navigate the expectations with grace rather than grievance.
With “1:59,” the song’s production, crafted by producers Tommy Brown (who’s the executive producer of the album along with writer Starrah) and Leather Jackett, lays down a smooth foundation that allows Normani’s vocals to glide effortlessly over the top. Brown’s use of minimalistic beats creates an intimate setting for the song’s theme of desire and anticipation. The lyrics are straightforward yet ineffective in that she sounds surprisingly dull, and Gunna doesn’t add anything but a strategy to pad in streams. Plus, the use of autotune can be distracting.
The Victoria Monét-penned “Insomnia” features a cool beat with co-production from Stargate and background vocals from the Vocal Bible, Brandy, but the song doesn’t take it to new heights as she would’ve worked wonders as a feature. The same goes for the moody Trap&B “Lights On” and “All Yours” (despite the catchy melodies) that would benefit from tighter songwriting. “Take My Time” takes on house music that sounds like Janet would do back in The Velvet Rope era, “Tantrums” with James Blake explores the raw emotions of a relationship gone wrong, and one of the album’s better songs, “Little Secrets,” blends a smooth, almost hypnotic beat with an interesting mix of pop-R&B and hard-hitting drums that creates a cool atmosphere that complements the lyrical themes of desire and secrecy.
“Candy Paint” is also a long-awaited song that was anticipated for two years, but it was leaked since then and was premiered on a Bose commercial last year. It doesn’t leave a lasting impression to represent Houston to the fullest (besides “Booty candy-painted with the diamond in the back”), other than sounding like a dated hit that would’ve worked in 2003. However, even though she may not like one of the two songs she premiered on Instagram Live months ago (but managed to land on the track listing) with Tommy Brown and her manager, Lydia, the Mike Jones-sampled “Still” works better to highlight her Houston roots. Despite mimicking Travis Scott on the ad-libs, it should’ve been the second single.
The album jumps from various sounds that, for the most part, lack cohesion in sound. Still, however, on a positive note, “Big Boy” opens as a horn-heavy anthem that radiates confidence, ambition, and self-worth, transcending even the rich OutKast and Pimp C references embedded within. This track sets the tone for the album and is a powerful opening statement that she’s that girl. Normani boldly asserts her independence, dismissing anyone who dares to underestimate her. She proudly flaunts her achievements and the opulent lifestyle they bring, painting a vivid picture with mentions of platinum hits, luxury cars, sparkling jewelry, and designer attire. Her delivery carries a playful arrogance, unapologetically embracing her sexuality and wielding it as a source of empowerment (that same goes for the solid joint, “Grip”).
‘Cause that ass on a bad bitch is fat as a bitch
Bling-bling-blow, he like, “What’s that on your wrist?”
Bling-bling-blow, this all them platinum hits
Bling-bling-blow, this all that Billboard shit
Normani makes it abundantly clear through this track that she completely controls her narrative and destiny.
The noteworthy standout track is “Distance.” The Sevyn Streeter-assisted track explores the struggle of maintaining love while feeling neglected. The verses highlight broken promises and unmet expectations, with the narration shifting between disappointment and self-empowerment. Normani captures the essence of a strained relationship through straightforward yet poignant lyrics that many can relate to.
Upon multiple listens with the production, what’s immediately apparent is how generic, all-over-the-place and trend-chasing the album sounds, no matter how they persuade you on how it’s sonically “refreshing” online. Normani is not a strong vocalist, even if she has a unique tone, but she’s simply imitating the same tired pop-R&B tropes and styles dominating the charts from the past and present. Rather than carving out her lane, Normani seems content to blend into the crowd of indistinguishable Spotify-core R&B.
Even more disappointing is how much of the album is cribbed from the late 90s-2000s R&B hits. Several tracks sound like direct imitations of songs of her influences or what’s out in the modern R&B world. Instead of paying homage while putting her spin on things, Normani comes across as merely cosplaying her influences. The album leaves you questioning what Normani’s artistic perspective and creative vision actually are.
Commercially, Normani’s eagerly awaited debut will likely perform well off the strength of the long-standing hype and a few TikTok-ready singles that check all the right boxes. But artistically, it’s a shallow effort that wasn’t worth the six-year wait. Here’s hoping that in future projects, Normani will take the time to move beyond pastiche, find her own voice, and deliver the singular, definitive statement worthy of her talents that fans know she’s capable of.
Above Average (★★★☆☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Big Boy,” “Little Secrets,” “Distance”