Normani recently opened up about her both of her parents being diagnosed with cancer. The singer said, “F**k all of this. This is bigger than the music. It’s bigger than what I’m trying to accomplish. This is life or death. All I wanted to do was be there for them.”
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A day after sharing the title and cover art for her long-awaited debut solo album ‘Dopamine,’ Normani’s cover and feature with digital fashion magazine Who What Wear dropped. While speaking with the publication, the 27-year-old singer opened up about her ride on an emotional rollercoaster that lasted for almost four years.
The former Fifth Harmony member detailed her long and winding road to her debut solo album, which still doesn’t have a release date, and also recalled learning about her parents’ separate cancer diagnoses. She said while working on her solo album and dropping singles “Motivation,” “Wild Side (featuring Cardi B),” and “Fair,” she was also there to see her parents undergo cancer treatments.
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In 2020, Normani’s mother, Andrea Hamilton, was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. She had first been diagnosed two decades earlier and was in remission from the disease. After her second diagnosis in 2020, Andrea completed her last round of chemotherapy in 2021. Normani even took to X (formerly Twitter) and tweeted, “My mom just had her final round of radiation. Glory!!!!”
Sadly, shortly after her mother’s second round of treatment, Normani’s father, Derrick Hamilton, was also diagnosed with cancer. Speaking with the publication, Normani called her parents’ diagnoses “a wake-up call,” while also claiming that despite their health issues, her music helped heal them all. She said it helped restore her faith in the healing power of music, and her higher purpose to use her art to transform pain into light.
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She tearfully explained, “Honestly, music got them through the cancer treatments. I remember being on FaceTime with my mom while she was undergoing chemo and her asking me, ‘How’s the studio today? How’s the music coming?’ As hard as it was for me to not be with them as much as I wanted to, ultimately, pushing through made the circumstances of the last few years feel a bit lighter for my parents.”
Normani continued, “It was in those moments with my parents that made me realize that I have an opportunity to make an impact in this lifetime. I know everything I’ve been through isn’t in vain. There’s always something that God wants me to see in the season. It’s all in service of making me better for all that he actually has in store for me.”
She added, “I know what it feels like to be in a position to put out records that I don’t believe in. … I made a vow to myself, ‘If God gives me a second opportunity, I’m going to do things my way.’ I want to be able to sleep at night knowing that I put out my absolute best work.
Continuing, she affirmed, “Despite what the world says about it, I put out something that I love and stand behind, especially because it’s taken so long. I’ve come to understand that my best today isn’t going to be my best a year from now, and that’s okay. I have to allow myself opportunity and room to grow. I never want to feel like I’ve reached a point where I’ve got it all figured out, especially creatively.”
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