Normani recalls pausing her music career after both her parents were diagnosed with cancer
Normani is opening up about her parents' cancer diagnosis.
During a Feb. 22 interview with Who What Wear, Normani recalled what it was like to see her mother and father, Andrea and Derrick Hamilton, privately begin cancer treatments, as the world awaited her debut album.
She said the first thing she thought to herself was “F--- 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.”
In June 2023, Normani revealed her father had been diagnosed with cancer one year after her mother, Andrea, battled it for a second time in a promotional collaboration she did with Bose.
While speaking with Who What Wear, Normani said her music has helped her parents out greatly.
“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?’” she said.
“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 tearfully recalled.
She added, “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.”
On Feb. 21, Normani announced the title of her debut solo studio album, "Dopamine."
On Instagram, she shared a picture of herself riding a black rocket. She captioned the post, "Cryingg typing this rn. DOPAMINE THE ALBUM."
In her interview with Who What Wear, Normani said "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."
She also talked about her solo music career after Fifth Harmony and said that also helped her make "Dopamine."
"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," she said. "I would not be able to make the type of music I’m making now.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
