The summer of 2024 is for female artists who have complicated relationships with fame, and Normani is no exception. In fact, Normani’s debut album “Dopamine,” released on June 14 after a six year hiatus from music, takes the cake.
“Dopamine” feels like sipping a tall, sleek can of sparkling mineral water. There’s no strong, particular flavor but it feels cool, refreshing and bubbly.
Upon first listen, the album as a whole is sonically cohesive. However, it may feel too cohesive and strike some audiences as predictable and boring.
“Dopamine” has a futuristic sound and aesthetic. The songs are late-night playlist material. Normani is starting to find her own unique sound — it’s a seductive, sensual album. Part of what I like about this album is that it is starkly different from how her music sounded during her time in Fifth Harmony.
The order of the songs was solid. She began with flashing lights, drums and fanfare, then went in a more coy and tongue-in-cheek direction, then went to a more catchy and bubbly track. The result was a well-curated listening experience.
But the album didn’t properly start until the third track, “All Yours.” There isn’t a song on this album that I would characterize as bad, but something feels like it’s missing from the first and second tracks.
Her collaborators were well suited to the songs — you can tell that they weren’t picked simply for boosting numbers. The backing vocals and production by Brandy and Victoria Monét on “Insomnia” and the James Blake feature on “Tantrums” made those two particular tracks shine.
Out of all the songs on this album, I most look forward to seeing her perform “Little Secrets,” “Still,” “Lights On” and “Candy Paint” live. These are the tracks I think would really hype up a crowd when she goes on tour.
In terms of star power, Normani has a lot of potential. My first impression of “Candy Paint” in particular was that it would do well on TikTok. As of Friday, July 5, there were 53 TikToks using the song, the result of a dance challenge for the song created by Normani.
Lyrically though, most of the songs are a tad generic and don't really show off anything that makes Normani unique as an artist.
Maybe it’s because this is her debut album, but I would like to see more vulnerability from Normani in her music. This is a lot to ask of an artist that is coming back into the music industry after a six year hiatus, but part of the beauty of putting out art is that there is some risk involved.
Showcasing more of her personality and uniqueness would help her stand out more in the vast sea of female R&B artists.
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The promotion around the album could have been better, especially considering that Normani is a visual artist. If there were music videos or even some visualizers for her music, the album might have done better.
The only thing akin to a visualizer that she dropped was a “First Dose” album teaser, which looked extremely promising. If she expands on what we saw in “First Dose,” there is potential for a series of visuals with a rich storyline.
As an audience member, I wanted Normani to experiment with a wider range of sounds in this album, but then I remembered this album is an experiment. This is a pilot, a debut album, a snippet.
Fans know she is sitting on more music, because as she said herself on the Zach Sang Show, she made over 150 songs during the years it took to make this album. I want to see another album from her with more experimentation, exploring a wider range of topics.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com
