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This past Friday at exactly midnight, the world witnessed the epitome of Black Girl Magic with the release of Normani Kordei’s single “Motivation.” The 2000’s inspired single and music video gave us all types of nostalgic vibes from the 106 & Park intro to the references to iconic performers like Beyonce, JLO, and Britney Spears. After watching (and rewatching) the music video, it’s obvious to see that not only does Normani have crazy vocals, but also an INSANE amount of talent. From her intricate dance moves (like doing a split from a headstand in the rain), Normani showed the entire world that she is the next big thing.
Starting out in the X-Factor created group, Fifth Harmony, Normani showcased her talent on the global level from an early age. With her fellow group members, Fifth Harmony sold 456,000 albums and had 5 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100. Fifth Harmony skyrocketed to fame. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The group dismembered in 2017 to pursue solo careers, allowed Normani space and time she needed to grow into the star she was destined to be. Her collaboration with Khaild on the 2018 hit “Love Lies” which spent a total of 294 days on the iTunes charts, became her introduction to the music business as a solo artist. In November of 2018 Normani released “Waves” featuring 6lack and was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video. Over the course of only a year, Normani’s star status has soared in the music industry and will continue to do so with “Motivation.”
“Motivation” is single-handedly Normani’s most successful release receiving 10 million views on Youtube in one day. The flirty 2000’s inspired songs are one for the record books, with catchy lyrics and a beat that makes you want to dance. Music is definitely a passion for her, and after watching her music videos, it’s easy to see that dance is a passion of Normani’s as well. From the syncopated beats to pirouettes, the rising star made it known to everyone that she is no opening act but the main attraction.
While “Motivation” may seem like just a song it is so much more than that. There are thousands of little Black girls that get to see themselves on TV and singing on the screens that they’ve dreamt of. Normani’s career is more than just singing and dancing, it is being a role model for girls who don’t always get to see themselves in the spotlight. For many of us, our role models were incredibly strong women like Beyonce and Michelle Obama, now we can add a new role model for the next generations: Normani Kordei.