Normani Says She's 'Always Felt Like the Underdog' But Now 'I'm Reinventing Myself'

"I grew up feeling beautiful. My mom, my dad, my grandmother instilled in me at a very early age that I was beautiful," Normani said. "The fact that my skin was chocolate was a beautiful thing"

Published on August 10, 2021 05:25 PM

Normani is starting to feel comfortable with her star power.

Speaking to Allure for the magazine's September cover story, the "Wild Side" songstress opened up about finding her confidence and reminding herself that it's her time to shine.

"I've always felt like the underdog in anything that I've ever done," the 25-year-old told Allure, referring to her time as a member of Fifth Harmony, where "I felt like I was overlooked. That idea has been projected on me. Like, this is your place."

However, as a soloist — and with tracks such as "Motivation" and her Sam Smith collaboration "Dancing with a Stranger" — she's getting to a point in her career where she feels stronger in her artistry.

"I'm reinventing myself," she said. "Now you all are finally going to be able to see me tap into that awareness — that I know I'm the s—."

Normani also looked back at her upbringing — from her roots in New Orleans to her time in Houston following Hurricane Katrina — saying that growing up, although she sometimes faced bullying at school, she knew she was beautiful in her Black skin.

"I grew up feeling beautiful. My mom, my dad, my grandmother instilled in me at a very early age that I was beautiful," she said. "The fact that my skin was chocolate was a beautiful thing. My kinky hair was beautiful. I don't need to straighten it. I can rock my braids to my all-white school."

"I did get bullied a lot. Not feeling like I had that representation at school was very hard," she added.

The songstress also opened up about her upcoming music and how she's been concocting her debut solo album.

"My purpose in this work that I do is for other people that feel like they have Black women figured out. There's so many layers to us, there's so many textures, there's so much that we're capable of doing," Normani said. "Yes, I can throw ass. But I can also give you a proper eight-count, and I can do ballet, and I can do contemporary dance. If I want to sing this pop ballad, then you're going to love it! While you see my Black face!"

"When I show up, I'm ready," she added. "You can't point the finger at me."

The "Wild Side" singer also admitted that her perfectionism also "slowed down" her music-making process, but it's "allowed me to get in my own."

"For me, that takes a lot," she said about letting her emotional guard down in music. "It's that end of the spectrum. It's vulnerability. It's the things that make me scared. It's the things that I'm insecure about."