Album Review: Normani, Dopamine

Normani

Dopamine (released June 14, 2024)

**Normani, come on downnnnnnn! You’re the next contestant on America’s Next Black Pop Superstar!**

Yeah, we’ve been playing this game for a long, long time.

Ever since Rihanna decided to trade in her recording career to focus on selling draws and making babies – and I’m not mad at that decision one bit – there’s been a huge void in the pop girlie scene, and nature hates a vacuum.

We’ve had our share of contenders. Kehlani and SZA have both enjoyed their share of commercial success, even if the reviews of their music are often mixed. Doja Cat probably came closest, but she leans too hip-hop most times. Plus, she’s terrifying. Tinashe may have the hottest song of the summer that’s not about Canadian BBLs but her career has been plagued by inconsistencies. And oh yeah, remember Chloe’s debut last year? There’s a good reason why you probably forgot.

But if you ask Twitter, the heir apparent to pop’s throne is Fifth Harmony standout Normani. They’ve been talking her up for a long time.

A long, long, looooooooong time.

After hitting big way back in 2018 with “Love Lies” and again a year later with “Motivation,” Normani seemed primed to be next up.

But then we waited. And waited. And waited.

It’s now 2024. Normani’s breakout happened before we knew what COVID-19, Disney Plus or Instagram Reels were.

After years of false starts, failed singles, social media breakdowns and tantrums from stans, we finally get her debut album Dopamine. And before I pressed play on it, the first thing I said to myself was:

There is no way this album can live up to the hype.

On paper, Normani is a can’t-miss talent. She’s gorgeous, she’s not a bad singer and she’s a vibrant live performer – an unheard-of attribute among the mannequins stumbling around on stages today. Y’all are too young to have knees that stiff, I swear. But she’s already been labeled “this generation’s Aaliyah” and “this era’s Janet” and that’s a bar too high for any new artist to clear.

Instead of comparing her to icons and setting exceptions absurdly high, let’s judge Normani by who she currently is, not what her fans hope she’ll be.

In case that, the story of Dopamine is clear – Normani is loaded with potential, but still has a long way to go.

Album opener “Big Boy” is all that’s right and all that’s wrong with Dopamine. Here, and throughout the project, the production is a win. The track is laced with funky horns, along with nods to her Southern heritage by shouting out legends like Outkast and UGK. It’s bursting with presence and personality – another advantage she has over her more wooden peers. But the track is also bogged down by unnecessary reverb affects on her vocals. It’s a decent song that could easily have been a great one.

Current single “Candy Paint” is probably the best example of making this formula work. The production is both minimalistic and catchy – it doesn’t sound like anything else on radio at the moment. That individuality is a major plus.

Normani seems to be at her best over midtempo production. “All Yours” was *thisclose* to annoying me – that “UmAhUmAh” refrain is supposed to be sexy talk but sounds more like Pokemon speech – but Bizness Boi’s beat is just too undeniable to hate on for long. Likewise, “Lights On” rises above the usual sports car and jet ski sex metaphors for a legitimately sensual experience.

Elsewhere, the ride isn’t as smooth.

“Still” starts out strong – the “Still Tippin'” sample immediately got me hype – but then the track descends into the usual “vibez” that were already overplayed back when Normani dropped her first single in 2018. She attempts to raise the tempo with “Take My Time” but, again, it’s just another paint-by-numbers track.

Could be worse, at least it’s not afrobeats.

Even when some album cuts boast fun production quirks – the addition of the electric guitar on “Insomnia” is the jolt the album needed – Normani’s vocals feel like they’re in neutral. The “kung-ful grip” drop on, well, “Grip” probably will make for some interesting Tik Toks in the near future, but the song itself just meanders along. Lead single “1:59” and even “Wild Side” – a years-old single that surprisingly made the final album cut – feel equally lifeless. Not shockingly, the most interesting thing about the latter is the “One in a Million” interpolation, which will once again draw comparisons to pioneers Normani can’t yet measure up to.

Dopamine has more starts and stops than morning rush hour traffic. Every time she starts getting little momentum, like the James Blake assisted “Tantrums,” the album slams the brakes with another unimaginative pop track like “Little Secrets.”

Will Normani’s VERY loud fanbase make this album a chart-topper? It wouldn’t surprise me, I’m sure they’re camping out in my mentions right now. But while Dopamine has flashes of brilliance, it’s clear Normani still hasn’t figured out who she is as an artist yet.

There’s still time. It took Janet three albums before she got Control of her career. Hopefully it won’t take Normani another six years before she gets a second shot at the crown.

Best tracks: “Candy Paint,” “Lights On,” “All Yours”

3 stars out of 5