Look, no one’s saying Beyoncé can be replicated (we all know she’s, ahem, irreplaceable). But if ever there was a budding superstar with a shot at filling Bey’s shoes, it might be Normani.
After a string of one-off singles, the former Fifth Harmony singer launched a new era on Friday (August 16) with the single “Motivation.” The song itself is an absolute jam, with ‘Mani riding a horn-backed beat and confidently asserting, “I’ma break you off, let me be your motivation … Baby turn around, let me give you innovation / ‘Cause I do it so right.” You’d be forgiven for not hearing her on the first listen, though, because the song arrived alongside a video that puts the spotlight on Normani’s unparalleled dancing. I mean… let’s just look at what she can do with a basketball:
The vid opens on a young Normani watching BET’s 106 & Park and daydreaming about becoming a countdown-topping video vixen. That fantasy of course comes true — the song kicks off as the 23-year-old rocks a “Crazy In Love“-style outfit and takes her show-stopping moves to the streets of L.A., rain showers be damned. She’s the full package; serving style, choreo, and vocals galore. Check it out:
“Motivation” is a promising taste of what lies ahead for Normani; so far, most of her solo output has consisted of features and collaborations, like “Love Lies” with Khalid, “Waves” with 6LACK, “Dancing With a Stranger” with Sam Smith, and the Calvin Harris collabs “Slow Down” and “Checklist.” “Motivation,” however, is 100 percent Normani, and it’s good to see her shine on her own.
