Normani Opens Up About Parents’ Cancer Treatments: ‘All I Wanted to Do Was Be There for Them’

Normani is gearing up to release her long-awaited debut solo album, and opened up about the ups and downs of her past few years in a new Who What Wear profile.

In the wide-ranging interview, the star revealed that while her solo hits like “Motivation” and “Love Lies” were taking off, her parents were privately battling cancer. “F— all of this,” she said of her career after learning of the diagnoses. “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.”

However, she added that her music ultimately ended up being a positive part of healing. “Honestly, music got them through the cancer treatments,” Normani recalled. “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 says. At this moment, tears start to form in her eyes. She stammers a bit but goes on to say, “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 announced last week she’ll be releasing her debut album, Dopamine, this year. She posted the album artwork on Instagram, which features the black-leather bikini-clad singer riding on top of a black rocket. “cryingg typing this rn. DOPAMINE THE ALBUM,” she captioned the post. The announcement of her long-awaited first full-length project arrives after fans noticed the ex-Fifth Harmony member had cleared her Instagram.

Normani has yet to reveal Dopamine‘s release date, but according to the rapidly changing date counter on the aforementioned website, it will be released in 2024.