Normani

Artist Biography by Andy Kellman Birds of Prey: The AlbumSinger, songwriter, and dancer Normani gained fame as a member of the platinum pop group Fifth Harmony before branching out on her own. Along with scoring hits with Khalid (the Top Ten single "Love Lies") and Sam Smith (U.K. Top Three "Dancing with a Stranger"), she released the collaborative EP Normani x Calvin Harris. In 2019, she released her debut solo single "Motivation," hitting number nine on the Dance Club Songs chart. Normani and Megan Thee Stallion contributed the song "Diamonds" to the 2020 Birds of Prey soundtrack and joined Cardi B for 2021's "Wild Card." ReflectionBorn in Atlanta, Georgia, Normani Kordei Hamilton was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina prompted her family to move to Houston, Texas. Normani had been performing for several years when, in 2012, she competed on the second season of The X Factor USA, which led to the formation of Fifth Harmony. The group's albums Reflection (2015), 7/27 (2016), and Fifth Harmony (2017) all debuted within the Top Ten, and the first two went platinum, making them one of the biggest pop acts of the 2010s. The year the self-titled album was released, Normani also appeared in the video for Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke." Shortly thereafter, Khalid and Normani co-wrote and recorded the pop-R&B ballad "Love Lies" for the soundtrack of Love, Simon. Released on RCA in February 2018, the song peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 four months later at number nine. She rounded out the year appearing on tracks by Quavo ("Swing") and Jessie Reyez (the "Body Count" remix), as well as issuing a collaborative EP with Calvin Harris, simply titled Normani x Calvin Harris. In the midst of preparing her solo debut album, she released another hit duet, this time with Sam Smith. Produced by Jimmy Napes and Stargate, "Dancing with a Stranger" rose into the Top Three in the U.K. A standalone single, "Motivation," arrived in August 2019, cracking the U.K. Top 30 and landing at number nine on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. She then paired with Megan Thee Stallion for "Diamonds," off the 2020 Birds of Prey soundtrack and released 2021's "Wild Card" featuring Cardi B.