Normani Wants Young Black Girls to Know They Can Do Anything: "I Feel Like It's My Calling"

Updated on Oct 9, 2020 at 12:30 PM

Normani wants to change how society views Black women. As the cover star of Teen Vogue's October issue, the 24-year-old singer is optimistic as she discusses her upcoming album and how she hopes to be a positive role model for young Black women. Even when targeted by racist cyberbullies as part of Fifth Harmony, Normani was able to overcome their comments thanks to the fans that stood by her side. "To be a young woman that looks like myself, I just feel like [being a positive example] is a part of my legacy," she told the outlet. You can read some of her best quotes from the interview ahead.

On being vulnerable: "Vulnerability is talking about the fact that I do get anxiety sometimes, and just showing the consumer what that feels like for me. Just the fact that I am in a position that I'm in, but I don't want to be so unattainable. I'm just the girl next door."
On the hopes she has for her upcoming album: "There's so much expectation that I have for myself, so adding [fans' expectations] onto that can be a lot, but it really does motivate me. I really want to create a body of work that's going to count, you know? I'm never going to get my first album back."

On being a positive role model for young Black women: "Representation, like I always say, is key. To be a young woman that looks like myself, I just feel like [being a positive example] is a part of my legacy. It's me wanting to create better opportunities for us, and also just for people who think that they got us figured out, [I want to show that] we are multifaceted and capable of much more than we get credit for, in the music industry and also in society. I feel like I have a duty."
On why she wants to be a part of change: "Honestly, for me, it's bigger than the music. As much as I love what I do, I want to change lives and I want to reach as many people as I can. I feel like that's the difference between doing something that you love and also having purpose. I want to tell our stories and, like I said, be a representation that Black girls can do anything . . . I feel like it's my calling."

On why she was excited to be a part of the music video for "WAP": "The 'WAP' video I was really, really excited to be a part of, just because I feel like we're in a time in music where women — and Black women — are really on top, which is something I feel like we haven't seen in a very, very long time. Where I come from, we were all about female empowerment. The fact that I could be a part of such a special moment embracing our sexuality, in which I definitely think there's a double standard, [was exciting] to be a part of it."