“I’ll never get to release my first album again, so I’m taking the time to make it real special for me,” Normani told a fan on X (formerly Twitter) in July 2019. In the year prior, she infamously declared: “I have my album title y’all.” By that time, she had already unleashed her profile-raising collaboration with Khalid (“Love Lies”) and later unveiled songs with Calvin Harris (“Checklist,” featuring WizKid, “Slow Down”), 6LACK (“Waves”), and Sam Smith (“Dancing With A Stranger”).
A lot has transpired since then in Normani’s professional and personal life. After scrapping her debut pulse-quickening single, “Motivation,” she revealed that she reworked her album at least four or five times, all while silently juggling time spent with family as both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer. Her father was diagnosed one year after her mother’s second diagnosis after 19 years of remission. Naturally and understandably, she paused musical releases after dropping “Wild Side” with Cardi B (2021) and “Fair” (2022). “I felt like I needed to experience things to actually be able to talk about them on a record, whether it’s my parents, or heartbreak, or even just being in tune with myself as a 27-year-old woman,” Normani told The Cut in a recent interview.
The time has finally come, and Normani’s long-awaited debut album, Dopamine, is now available via RCA Records. The 13-track set radiates unshakable confidence, heard at full power on “Big Boy,” the opener featuring Starrah. On the braggadocious banger, she flaunts her “cornbread fed” physique and flashes her “platinum hits” over a thumping bass laced with French horns. It’s the type of self-pat on the back that feels like a well-earned victory lap after facing adversity.
In a sense, “Big Boy” feels like a musical homecoming that embraces Normani’s Southern roots. She was born in Atlanta, raised in New Orleans, and later relocated to Houston after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. She gives a nod to the iconic Atlanta rap duo OutKast (“Used to bump that Andre and that Big Boi”) and pays respect to Houston’s Pimp C (“Roll up on it, pimpin’ like C, I was brought up on it”).
The syrupy, trunk-rattling “Still” is a love letter to Houston akin to Ciara’s tribute to Atlanta on 2004’s “Oh” featuring Ludacris. “Still” is built around a sample of Houston rapper Mike Jones’ 2004 banger “Still Tippin’” with Slim Thug and Paul Wall. Normani’s swagger oozes throughout the track as the “R&B pop star diva” lives her best life in The Bayou City. “Lights flash, shakin’ ass, with my girls, spendin’ money,” she sings over a hypnotizing production that is both smooth and gritty.
Then there’s the bombastic “Candy Paint,” with traces of New Orleans bounce in its booty-shaking production. “If you let me take ’em, you might never get ’em back / I’m a baddie, and I don’t know how to act,” she sings with a smirk, yet another indicator of her high level of conviction.
Normani is skilled at creating dance-inducing grooves that transcend genres. We’ve seen her before go from the Afrobeats-flavored “Checklist” with Wizkid (2018) to the pop smash “Motivation” (2019) without missing a beat. The same thing applies on Dopamine. “Take My Time” is a disco-funk ditty, laced with house stylings, that will fill up a dance floor. “Yes, I want you to (take my time) / All my time (take my time) / Oh baby (just don’t take forever),” she sings over a polished production synthesized for pop radio.
The penultimate “Little Secrets” exquisitely blends rock and R&B with a sample of rapper Lil Baby’s “Drip Too Hard.” It’s hard not to move your hips melodically to the booming bass and the gritty electric guitar. This song needs to be played at maximum volume. Lyrically, “Little Secrets” is a bit toxic, though. Here, Normani knows she is the number one option for someone who’s already taken: “You say you got a new girl around / But I can get it if I want, automatic,” she asserts.
The album’s most gratifying moments occur when the R&B siren delves into her sensual side. On the devotional “All Yours,” Normani toggles between a rap-sung cadence and breathy whispers: “I’m all yours / From the stairs, to the bed, to the floor,” she sings on the Bizness Boi production. The mesmeric “Lights On,” co-written by Victoria Monét, is unquestionably the album’s steamiest moment. Normani requests her partner to keep the bedroom illuminated while they make love. Her warm, velvety vocals glide smoothly over the seductive production like body butter. The song evokes Janet Jackson’s sensuality and even ends with orgasmic moans, reminiscent of the icon’s deep cuts “Warmth” and “Discipline,” among others. The low-lit pleasure persists into the Aaliyah-inspired tracks “1:59” featuring Gunna, a wink at “4 Page Letter,” and “Wild Side,” which echoes “One In A Million.”
Although the album mainly leans into the sexy and confident vibe, Normani doesn’t shy away from revealing her vulnerable side. The album’s zenith, “Insomnia,” finds her sleepless as she mulls over an ex who sporadically reaches out whenever she feels like she’s moved on. “I wonder how you know that I’ll be movin’ on / ‘Cause it seems like you really love to make that sh*t impossible,” she sings. From a vocal production perspective, “Insomnia” is one of the more stellar moments of the album. Normani’s celestial harmonies take a direct page from The Vocal Bible Brandy, who makes a lovely appearance in the background vocals. Listen carefully, and you will hear Victoria Monét, who co-wrote the song, in the background as well. It feels like they’re comforting Normani along the way, providing her with two shoulders to lean on. The way they all blend together toward the end of the track is chilling and beautiful.
The Sevyn Streeter-penned “Distance” tells a sobering tale of recognizing the need to walk away from unrequited love. “I need to love you from a distance / Tired of fighting for attention / How much do you really listen? / When I need you, you’re always missing,” she laments in the chorus. Consequently, the song “Tantrums” featuring James Blake puts an end to a relationship with kiss-off lyrics: “When they ask you who loves you like I do, baby, don’t you say my name.”
Normani may have taken six years to put out her first album, but at least she finally did it. Dopamine is unrushed and well-paced, allowing listeners to fully immerse themselves in Normani’s euphoric odyssey. The intricate level of detail permeates throughout the album, only heightening its replay value. The album’s cover art shows Normani looking ahead while mounted on a black rocket. Dopamine isn’t necessarily a destination; rather, it’s the fuel that launches us into the world she’s meticulously built over the years. Strap in and enjoy the journey. But be warned, Dopamine will have you coming back for more.
Rating: 8 out of 10
