The wait is almost over. After announcing her debut solo album “Dopamine” last month, Normani has announced that the project’s first single, “1:59,” will feature rapper Gunna and release on April 26 via RCA Records.
Fans on social media have been questioning the album’s whereabouts since the former Fifth Harmony singer revealed the cover art and title for “Dopamine” in February. Shortly after, she posted a snippet of a song that may appear on the record to her social media accounts. After that, she largely went silent on social media and news has been altogether minimal. That is, until yesterday, when she quoted a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating that an announcement was in store for today.
Since splitting with Fifth Harmony in 2018, Normani has released music here and there via singles and features. She’s had moderate chart success with “Dancing With a Stranger” alongside Sam Smith and “Love Lies” with Khalid, while her Cardi B duet “Wild Side” peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her 2019 solo single “Motivation” peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Normani promised new music in 2022 when she signed a global publishing deal with Hipgnosis Songs Group. Last May, she parted ways with manager Brandon Silverstein of S10 Entertainment, and shortly signed a new management deal with Brandon Creed and Lydia Asrat (Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, Coco Jones).
Though little is known about “Dopamine,” Normani explained last month that it will be worth the wait. “I know what I’ve been through,” she told Who What Wear. “For me, this upcoming album is not just about music coming out. It feels like a representation of everything I’ve gone through to get to this moment… I know I needed time, experiences, and space coming out of [Fifth Harmony] in order to become the version of myself I needed to be. Without [all of that], I would not be able to exist within the creative space that I am in now. I would not be able to make the type of music I’m making now.”
