By Rachel Dennehy
Dopamine: An Exceptional Debut That Has Been Six Years in the Making
For a release that seemed like it was never going to see the light of day; after spending over six years in the making, Dopamine is not only worth the wait but also serves as a celebration towards the rebirth of Normani in her starlight.
Inevitably, the album depicts the difficult journey Normani has been through to get to this point citing the album as a “a representation of (her) evolution” that despite the highs and lows that she has experienced in both her personal and professional life, she was able to come out on top. This is celebrated by the release of this special project – her debut solo album. Having released three albums and an extended play under her former girl group Fifth Harmony, she is no amateur when it comes to the music industry. However, Dopamine serves its purpose in establishing who Normani is outside of the unit giving her the opportunity to shine on her own and be the star she was destined to be.
With a star-led team, her album is crafted by masters that have worked on only some of the biggest names in the industry from Ariana Grande to Beyoncé ensuring that her debut was in safe hands. She strived for perfection to make a debut that would spark a conversation and allow her to make her mark that she has been striving for her whole life.
Dopamine has a homely feel to the album reflecting the nostalgia of her audience with major influences ranging from the late 1990s and early 2000s sound that has been missing as of lately, she combines the best of both worlds captivating her audience with a dominant pop and r&b sound. The thirteen-track album ensures that the album does not lose its sense of authenticity and ensures that the run starts and remains on a high concluding with her hit single “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B, which dropped in 2021 serving as a whole circle moment reflecting the connection between the early days in her solo career to now.
The album opens with the powerful song that is destined to be a future hit “Big Boy” which encaptivates listeners with its big energy and bold statements that all you cannot help but do is to get up and dance. Inevitably, this song will be a fan favourite when it comes to Normani bringing this album to life on stage when she eventually tours the project. The album follows with tracks “Still,” “All Yours” and “Lights On” which cement the sound and theme of the album giving audience a sensual sound combined with a sense of power and liberation as well as strong influences paving a way for success for Normani with her citing Janet Jackson as a core influence for “Lights On.” Audiences continue to be blown away by the album and its strength as they reach the song “Insomnia” which allows Normani to be more vulnerable with her audience by reflecting on a toxic relationship, and the effects this has on her in more ways than one.
She again cites the incredible Brandy in this record and her backing vocals even feature on the track. If that was not enough, the incredible Victoria Monet additionally has song writing credits and backing vocals on the track making it an instant stand out and fan favourite from the body of work that inherently will go down in music history. The first half of the project encaptivates her listeners whilst taking them on a journey to witness some of the greatest works of Normani’s career to date. The track “Candy Paint” was released as a surprise single prior to album’s release features a catchy hook and something that lovers of Normani’s debut single “Motivation” will resonate with due to the fun and cheeky essence that the song represents. Then we must turn to the penultimate track of the album “Little Secrets” which is an addictive pop song with r&b elements serving as a confident anthem which Normani tells a previous lover that he is missing out. The album concludes with “Wild Side” which considering the gap between its release and the album it remains cohesive and on theme connecting with the overall feel of the album.
Dopamine secures itself as an exceptional debut from an incredible artist that sets herself aside avoiding any and all labels. Whether you are familiar with Normani or not, her album does exactly what anybody looks for going up and beyond for the standard for a debut project, indicating that the future is bright for her.