Dopamine (Normani album)

2024 studio album by Normani

Dopamine

Studio album by

Normani

Released| June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
Genre|

* R&B[1]
* pop[1]
* hip hop[2]

Length| 41:28
Label| RCA
Producer|

* Bizness Boi
* Tommy Brown
* Dave Cappa
* Jonah Christian
* Rami Dawod
* Mr. Franks
* Jason Gill
* Anton Göransson
* Kuk Harrell
* Harv
* Jarami
* Leather Jackett
* June Nawakii
* Nealante
* Normani
* Jacob Olofsson
* Aaron Revelle
* Tyler Rohn
* Taylor Ross
* Stargate
* Starrah
* Triangle Park

Normani chronology
| Normani x Calvin Harris
(2018)  | Dopamine
(2024)  |

|
|

Singles from  Dopamine

1. "1:59"
Released: April 26, 2024
2. "Candy Paint"
Released: May 31, 2024
3. "All Yours"
Released: June 14, 2024

Dopamine is the debut solo studio album by American singer Normani. It was released on June 14, 2024, through RCA Records. The album features collaborations with Starrah, Gunna, James Blake and Cardi B, along with contributions from Brandy and Victoria Monét.

Primarily a pop and R&B record, upon release it was met with generally favorable reviews and appeared on year-end lists, including Rolling Stone's best 100 albums of 2024.[3]

Dopamine was supported by the singles "1:59", "Candy Paint" and "All Yours", as well as the previously released "Wild Side" (2021), which reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number 91 on the US Billboard 200.

## Background and development

[edit]

Normani first appeared as a member of girl group Fifth Harmony, formed during the second season of The X Factor in 2012.[4] Following the announcement of Fifth Harmony's indefinite hiatus in 2018, plans about Normani's debut studio album first emerged in July, when the singer announced that she had her album title ready. Between 2018 and 2022, she released eight singles, including "Motivation" (2019), which was going to serve as the lead single of her debut album, but did not make the final track listing.[5][6]

On February 21, 2024, Normani announced the title of her debut studio album, Dopamine (an organic chemical), the album cover, and shared an audio snippet on her social media pages.[7][8] Normani expressed that the album is "a representation of [her] evolution" and "everything [she had] gone through to get to this moment". She also touched on the expectations and pressure she dealt with while making the album, as well as having to struggle with both of her parents having cancer.[9] In an interview with Elle magazine, Normani said that the album title "represents the highs and the lows [she has] endured" and that she wanted a title that encompassed everything that she felt she went through in her journey to get to this point in her career.[10]

## Release and promotion

[edit]

On March 23, 2024, Normani announced the lead single from the album titled "1:59", featuring American rapper Gunna, which was released on April 26.[11] The album's release date was then announced during the song's release. Around the same time, Normani also started teasing the release of "Candy Paint", which had been previewed multiple times since 2022, and would share a pre-save link for the song on May 2. A teaser trailer for the album, subtitled "First Dose" was released on YouTube, as well as her social media platforms, on May 22. The trailer featured a guest appearance from Gunna for what was likely a preview of the "1:59" music video, as well as a new snippet of "Candy Paint".[12] "Candy Paint" was surprise-released as the album's second single on Normani's 28th birthday, May 31.[13] It was later reported "Wild Side" (2021) featuring Cardi B would appear on Dopamine.[14] "All Yours" was released as the third single from the album on the day of release. On June 11, 2024, Normani teased the album's upcoming release with a promotional video directing fans to call her hotline number, "Hotline 1:59." When called, the voicemail previewed a snippet from the album each day, ending with Normani saying, "Hey, it's Normani, leave a message after the beep." On June 12, 2024, Normani revealed the tracklist to Dopamine on all social media platforms.[15]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
AnyDecentMusic?| 7.0/10[16]
Metacritic| 73/100[17]
Review scores
Source| Rating
Clash| 8/10[18]
The Guardian| [1]
The Independent| [19]
The Line of Best Fit| 6/10[20]
NME| [21]
Pitchfork| 7.4/10[22]
Rolling Stone| [23]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Dopamine received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 from 11 critic scores.[17]

Shahzaib Hussain of Clash described the album as "a debut that hits the programmed sweet spot, conversant with contemporary trends and greater R&B and soul traditions."[18] Writing for NME, Nick Levine said that "it may have taken six years, but Dopamine sounds like the (damn) album Normani was meant to make all long."[21] Pitchfork's Heven Haile found Dopamine to be a "solid reintroduction to Normani's sultrier side," while also ambivalently comparing it to Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia in that a "mysteriously cool it-girl persona is thrilling in three-minute doses, but after a couple of tracks with big hooks, you come across some filler."[22]

Nicole Vassell of The Independent wrote that even though "the album will satisfy lovers of understated soul, [...] after so long a wait, you might hope for a bigger dopamine hit than this."[19] The Guardian's Michael Cragg said that "Dopamine understandably strives hard for perfection, but it can feel strangely anonymous at times"; however, he also said that "when Normani fully lets loose, [...] there's a real sense of that superstar everyone hoped to see back in 2018 finally taking centre stage on her own damn album."[1]

### Year-end lists

[edit]

Dopamine on year-end lists  Publication  | List  | Rank  | Ref.

|
|
|

Rolling Stone | The Best 100 Albums of 2024  |

[3]

VIBE | The 25 Best Albums Of 2024  |

[24]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

In the United States, Dopamine debuted at number 91 on the Billboard 200, moving 12,000 album-equivalent units of which 2,000 were pure sales.[25]

## Track listing

[edit]

Dopamine track listingNo.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "Big Boy" (featuring Starrah)|

* Normani Hamilton
* Brittany Hazzard

| Tommy Brown|

* Brown
* Kuk Harrell[v]

| 2:53
2.| "Still"|

* Hamilton
* Darius Coleman

* Brown
* Lydia Asrat
* Courtlin Jabrae
* Michael Jones
* Paul Slayton
* Stavye Thomas
* Salih Williams

* Brown
* Leather Jackett

| 2:32
3.| "All Yours"|

* Hamilton
* Nija Charles
* Abby Keen

* Brown
* Andre Robertson

* Bizness Boi
* Ari PenSmith[a]
* Brown[a]
* Harrell[v]

| 3:28
4.| "Lights On"|

* Hamilton
* Victoria Monét

* Brown
* Bernard Harvey
* Parker Mulherin
* Marshall Mulherin
* Peder Losnegård

* Brown
* Harv
* Lido[a]
* P. Mulherin[a]
* M. Mulherin[a]
* Harrell[v]

| 3:45
5.| "Take My Time"|

* Hamilton
* Arnthor Birgisson
* Tiaan Williams

* Brown
* Jacob Olofsson
* Jason Gill
* Rami Dawod
* Lukasz Duchnowski

* Brown
* Olofsson
* Gill
* Dawod
* Harrell[v]

| 3:18
6.| "Insomnia"|

* Hamilton
* Monét
* Tayla Parx

* Brown
* Asrat
* Mikkel Eriksen
* Tor Hermansen
* Brandy Norwood
* Tommy Parker

* Brown
* Stargate

| 3:49
7.| "Candy Paint"|

* Hamilton
* B. Hazzard

* Jacob Gago
* Keynon Moore
* LaQuan Hazzard
* Tyler Rohn
* June Nawakii

| Brown| 2:50
8.| "Grip"|

* Hamilton
* B. Hazzard

| Brown| Brown| 2:10
9.| "1:59" (featuring Gunna)|

* Hamilton
* B. Hazzard
* Coleman
* Sergio Kitchens

* Brown
* Aaron Revelle
* Byron Ford
* Jabrae
* Moore
* L. Hazzard
* Marqueze Parker

* Brown
* Leather Jackett

| 3:12
10.| "Distance"|

* Hamilton
* Sevyn Streeter

* Robertson
* David Hughes
* Scott Carter
* Vanessa Wood
* Donnie Meadows
* Avery Earls
* Jerome Monroe

* Bizness Boi
* Triangle Park
* Harrell[v]

| 3:01
11.| "Tantrums" (featuring James Blake)|

* Hamilton
* B. Hazzard
* Coleman
* James Blake

* Brown
* Blake
* Steven Franks

* Brown
* Blake
* Mr. Franks

| 3:10
12.| "Little Secrets"|

* Hamilton
* B. Hazzard

* Anton Göransson
* Henry Walter
* Brown
* Revelle
* Rohn
* Taylor Ross
* Nawakii
* Chandler Durham
* Dominique Jones
* Kitchens
* Moore

* Brown
* Starrah
* Göransson
* Rohn
* Revelle
* June Nawakii
* Ross
* Cirkut

| 3:50
13.| "Wild Side" (featuring Cardi B)|

* Hamilton
* Belcalis Almanzar
* Jorden Thorpe
* B. Hazzard

* Dave Cappa
* Jonah Christian
* Nawakii
* Moore
* Ross
* Rohn

* Normani
* Nealante
* Cappa
* Starrah[p]
* Rohn
* Christian
* Ross
* Nawakii
* Harrell[p]
* Brad Bustamante[v]

| 3:29
Total length:| 41:28

Notes

* ^[p] signifies a primary and vocal producer
* ^[a] signifies an additional producer
* ^[v] signifies a vocal producer
* "Still" contains a sample and interpolation from "Still Tippin'," written and performed by Mike Jones, Slim Thug and Paul Wall.
* "Wild Side" contains an interpolation from "One in a Million", written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland, and performed by Aaliyah.

## Personnel

[edit]

* Normani – lead vocals
* Mike Bozzi – mastering (tracks 1–8, 10–13)
* Ohad Nissim – mastering (track 9)
* Jaycen Joshua – mastering (track 13), mixing (3, 7, 13)
* Rachel Blum – mastering (track 13)
* Patrizio "Teezio" Pigliapoco – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8–12)
* Ignacio Portales – mixing (track 4), engineering assistance (1, 2, 6, 8–12)
* Serban Ghenea – mixing (track 5)
* Brad Bustamante – engineering (tracks 1, 7, 11–13)
* John Scott – engineering (tracks 2–4, 6, 11)
* Mike Seaberg – engineering (tracks 3, 7), engineering assistance (13)
* Mikkel S. Eriksen – engineering (track 6)
* Thomas Warren – engineering (track 6)
* Kuk Harrell – vocal engineering (tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 10, 13)
* Jelli Dorman – vocal engineering (tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 10, 13)
* Federico Giordano – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8–12)
* Jacob Richards – engineering assistance (tracks 3, 7, 13)
* Leslie Quinonez – engineering assistance (track 4)
* Bryce Bordone – engineering assistance (track 5)
* Chris Bhikoo – engineering assistance (track 7)
* DJ Riggins – engineering assistance (track 13)
* Brandy – background vocals (track 6)
* Gunna – vocals (track 9)
* James Blake – vocals (track 11)
* Cardi B – vocals (track 13)
* Josie Aiello – background vocals (track 13)
* Starrah – vocals (tracks 1, 13)

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Dopamine Chart (2024)  | Peak
position

|

UK Album Downloads (OCC)[26] | 45
US Billboard 200[27] | 91
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] | 30

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Cragg, Michael (June 13, 2024). "Normani: Dopamine review – pop's longest-awaited debut almost defeats the trolls". The Guardian. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
2. ^ "Normani 'Dopamine' Full Album Review and Breakdown". ELLE. June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
3. ^ a b M.C., Elias (December 2, 2024). "The Best 100 Albums of 2024". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
4. ^ Harp, Justin (May 26, 2016). "Britain's Got Talent: Watch Fifth Harmony rock your world with a live semi-final performance". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
5. ^ Gonzalez, Erica (February 21, 2024). "Normani's Debut Album Dopamine: Everything We Know". Elle. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
6. ^ Major, Michael (February 21, 2024). "Normani Announces Long-Awaited Album Dopamine". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
7. ^ Mamo, Heran (February 21, 2024). "Normani Announces Debut Album Dopamine". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
8. ^ "Instagram video by Normani". Instagram. February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
9. ^ Suliaman, Jasmine Fox (February 22, 2024). "Normani's Moment is Now". Who What Wear UK. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
10. ^ Maude, Samuel (April 26, 2024). "Normani is Dropping the Damn Album". ELLE. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
11. ^ Mamo, Heran (March 23, 2024). "Normani Announces '1:59' Single Featuring Gunna". Billboard. United States: Eldridge Industries. ISSN 0006-2510. OCLC 732913734. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
12. ^ Grow, Kory. "Normani Answers 'Where's the Damn Album' With Hypersexual 'Dopamine' Trailer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
13. ^ Zemler, Emily (May 31, 2024). "Normani Celebrates Her Houston Roots on Upbeat Summer Anthem 'Candy Paint'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
14. ^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (May 31, 2024). "Normani on the pressure of finally releasing her debut album – and why 'Candy Paint' had to be on it". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
15. ^ Madarang, Charisma (June 12, 2024). "Normani Unveils 'Dopamine' Track List, Featuring Cardi B, Gunna, James Blake". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
16. ^ "Dopamine by Normani reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
17. ^ a b "Dopamine by Normani Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
18. ^ a b Hussain, Shahzaib (June 14, 2024). "Normani – Dopamine". Clash. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
19. ^ a b Vassell, Nicole (June 14, 2024). "Normani review, Dopamine: Fifth Harmony star's long-awaited debut is sexy but too sleepy". The Independent. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
20. ^ Khuttapan, Tanatat (June 14, 2024). "Normani: Dopamine Review – finally arrived". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
21. ^ a b Levine, Nick (June 14, 2024). "Normani – Dopamine review: belated, yes, but also brilliant". NME. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
22. ^ a b Haile, Heven (June 18, 2024). "Normani: DOPAMINE Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
23. ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (June 14, 2024). "Normani Finally Hits Her Sweet Spot on Dopamine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
24. ^ Corrine, Amber (December 21, 2024). "The 25 Best R&B Albums Of 2024". Vibe. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
25. ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "Normani's Long-Awaited Debut Solo Album Disappoints On The Charts". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
26. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
27. ^ "Normani Kordei Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
28. ^ "Normani Kordei Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Normani

* Discography
* Awards and nominations

Studio albums|

* Dopamine

EPs|

* Normani x Calvin Harris

Singles|

* "Love Lies"
* "Waves"
* "Dancing with a Stranger"
* "Motivation"
* "Diamonds"
* "Wild Side"
* "Fair"
* "New to You"
* "1:59"
* "Candy Paint"

Related articles|

* Fifth Harmony

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[Ref.]: Reference
*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template