Normani Says Being in Fifth Harmony ‘Took a Toll’ on Her Confidence: ‘I Suppressed It’

Normani is happier than ever now that she’s less than two weeks away from dropping her long-awaited debut album, but back in her Fifth Harmony days, she definitely wasn’t getting as much dopamine.

In an interview with Rolling Stone published Wednesday (June 5), the “Motivation” singer got candid about her bittersweet feelings toward her challenging girl group days. “I’m grateful for all of it, even the moments where I might’ve felt inadequate or less than,” she told the publication. “It definitely has a lot to do with why I am the way that I am.”

“It definitely took a toll on my confidence,” she continued. “Would I do some things differently or wish that some things were done differently? Of course, but I also don’t want to sit here and make it sound like it wasn’t part of my story.”

Normani first found fame after her X Factor audition led to her being placed in 5H with Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello. There were often reports of inner-conflict, and the Georgia-born, Houston-raised singer has been open in the past about the racism she experienced when so-called fans pitted her against her bandmates.

“We were babies,” she says now of her former groupmates. “We were so innocent and I think that is the struggle, to your point, of just us having to face reality under very unrealistic circumstances. I always say we did the very best we could with what we had, so that I’m proud of.”

“There’s so much that I don’t even remember because I suppressed it,” Normani added. “That’s just my way of protecting myself from having to deal with everything. But what I do remember is it wasn’t all bad. Like yeah, we struggled, but it was also really beautiful in what we accomplished together.”

After many years of delay, Normani’s first solo album Dopamine is set to drop June 14. In the interview, she revealed that the record was partly inspired by Brandy — whose vocals are featured on the LP — as well as Janet Jackson. “They’re literally the reason why I do what I do and why I’m able to be in the position that I am in: Black women,” she told the publication. “They redefined the standard of beauty, but also just the standard in music.”

“I’m f—ing strong despite everything that I’ve endured,” she added. “[Dopamine‘s] a testament to my strength and my resilience and my discipline. I’m a lot more sure of myself, a lot more comfortable. I’ve done a really good job at navigating and getting back to who I am and recognizing the beauty. I’m trusting myself a lot more.”