This is Normani looking like the sexiest mermaid in Nicolas Jebran at the VMAs. Look at how perfectly her hair is blowing back! If you have not seen the video for Motivation yet, do yourself a favor, watch it and come back. If you don’t have four minutes, watch from about 1:55 until 2:30. She does an actual backflip, so not only can can dance, she can do amazing gymnastics moves. Maybe that was achieved through editing, but it looks real enough. Plus the song is so good. Combined with the choreography, it gives me goosebumps. This is Normani’s debut single after breaking away from Fifth Harmony and she delivers. (The other breakaway artist from that group underwhelms. I said it.) Normani performed “Motivation” at the VMAs last night and she did a floor routine too!! That part is at 2:30. She wasn’t doing flips but she did a split and a bunch of floor moves, it was impressive. Here’s that video:
This is similar to the music video except they switched the routine up enough so it’s still fresh for people like me who have watched it over ten times. I can’t find any solid details about when her solo album is coming out, but I will definitely listen to it the day it does.
I’m including a couple of other performers in this post as we’re trying to cover the major fashion and acts from the VMAs. Here’s H.E.R. in Valentino. She had on an actual snake on the red carpet! It was a nod to Britney’s Slave 4 U snake in 2001, and Cosmo points out that Tana Mongeau, who is a YouTuber I haven’t heard of before, wore one this year too. OK, those are live creatures. I’m not about to defend snakes’ rights but this feels wrong. Plus a lot of people, like my aunt, have a phobia of them. (She could not watch Temple of Doom.) H.E.R. performed “Anti” and you can see that here. I really liked the visuals and the feel of it. There were a lot of good performances last night.
Here’s Spanish singer Rosalia, she did “A Ningun Hombre,” “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi” & “Aute Cuture” and you can see that performance here. I’m not familiar with her but she has pipes. I also like what she said when she was presenting, that she sings in Spanish and is from Spain. There were a lot of pointed and necessary references last night to the artists being immigrants.
I can’t see the video because it is blocked in my country lol but her abs!!! Wow and she is stunning. I need to check her music out.
BTW you are not losing anything by not knowing who Tana Mongeau is lol. YouTube game is crazy right now and she is stupid and vapid in my opinion.
Yes the snake on her looks cool, but it’s truly unnecessary, and a bit cruel to use animals as props. We don’t know what kind of stress or anxiety that snake is experiencing with all the movement she’s got to do walking and posing on the carpet, the noise, and the flashing lights. Not worth it.
Rosalia is the one who is the next big thing. I love her music and can actually dance. I know shes big in spain but shes becoming really big in America.
They can both be successful.
Thank you for saying that. It’s not a zero sum game.
I love, love Rosalía! She writes and produces all of her music and even though now she’s getting more mainstream musically now (gearing towards reggaeton instead of flamenco/r&b) I’m glad she’s finally getting recognition internationally.
I love her too. I love that she went to university and studied music. And it surprises me how many American celebrities love her. Kylie, gigi, emily ratajkowski etc…
it’s a pity she is leaning towards reggaeton, she should continue doing flamenco-inspired music. This is what made her known, this is what will make her stand out, not reggaeton.
I don’t know anything about any of the people mentioned in the article, but animals are not accessories. Period.
Rich people being rich. The more they get money, the more they see living things as toys.
Fwiw, HER said the snake is her pet, 1 of 6.
Still lame.
He face says “Missy Elliot’s daughter.”
Rosalía is just amazing, her voice is insane. Best performance of the night alongside Normani.
To see the industry….FINALLY elevate a Brown skin girl…..
I AM HERE FOR IT!!!!!!!!
This is Normani’s internet and we’re all just living on it. The way she slays!
To be honest the song is hella generic, but she can dance. I’d pick her over Camilla.
Normani is giving me Destiny’s Child vibes from the late 90’s in that outfit. Did Tina design that lol? Normani is beautiful and very talented. As a solo artist she is really shining.
I get Ciara vibes from Normani. She’s got nice moves.
She’s not necessarily my cup of tea, but I am so here for her dethroning the former bandmate who was an unabashed and unapologetic racist to her.
Same. She’s an excellent dancer with pretty average vocals so far but at least she’s not a racist. Cant’ believe the huge industry push Camilla is getting urgh. She’s an asshole, and not even a talented one at that.
Normani deserves all the attention and success that Camila Cabello is getting because she is clearly the superior talent from that girl group. Normani is sooo underrated and has such an incredible voice.
Man, I hate snakes (irrational phobia, can’t get over it) but even I’m offended. Plus, I would be afraid all the flashing lights would stress them out and they’d freak out… while around my neck. No thanks, Jeff!
Also Normani is easily my favorite Fifth Harmony alum. She is one heckuva performer. I will say though that I saw her when she opened for Ariana Grande, and she had some dodgy live vocals. Maybe it was made worse by the fact that Ari came on and was basically delivering peak-Whitney Houston level vocals from start-to-finish, or because Normani was dancing a lot. Idk.
It’s hard to imagine having any breath control with that amount of physical activity.
See I think this song is boring and generic. The dancing is absolutely incredible and barely anyone can dance and sustain good singing – Tina Turner and Beyoncé are the two that stand out in this category – as well as some Broadway stars. I don’t think she’s singing live in this MTV performance – it sounds like a super obvious recording to me. But a lot of them aren’t live at MTV. I do think she sounds blocked up here though, does she normally sound like that? In any case, I’d love to see more from her – and better songs
The thing with Rosalía is that there have been debate about cultural appropiation because she says that she “feels” latina. She’s a white woman from Spain. So I’m ok with people repeating that.
about Rosalía? The only debate is that she is from Catalunia and sings flamenco music that is from Andalucía, but both are spanish regions and she is really loved in Spain so I guess there’s no big issue.
And I’m latina and we love Rosalía as well and although she is very hispanic (her accent makes it hard to understand her spanish pronunciation and she uses a lot of flamenco slangs as well) she feels undoubtely closer to us latinos than the other europeans. Latino and hispanics have been always very connected musically and culturally.
Spain is interesting. Yes, technically European and white; but don’t forget the long period of time most of the (now) country was under Moorish control and a lot of Spanish people have North African heritage – particularly those from the south but movement of populations means it is all over. One of my Catalan girlfriends often jokes that you can see her Arabic roots and… yeah, you can. We both lived in the Middle East and people often mistook her for a local at first. So you have some Spaniards (particularly from the north) who are actually blonde and blue-eyed (perhaps Viking heritage? Who knows!) and then standard olive skin brunettes who tan super well, then the very very dark Spaniards with North African heritage. Then, all of the more modern additions of course too. Spaniards of many generations are more of a genetic mix than many other European countries. Rosalia looks Caucasian but just wanted to point out that Spain is not as purely Caucasian as you might think.
I feel bad for Shawn Mendes. With all this press Normani is getting Camilla’s going to have him really working that pap stroll.
At 53, pop has long since been my flavor, but:
1) I think her voice is just gorgeous,
2) that’s what I classify as a summer song, if ever I heard one, and
3) she puts on one hell of a show, and must have been a gymnast & dancer from a young age.
She was definately one of my favorite performance last night.
with Rosalía? The only debate is that she is from Catalunia and sings flamenco music that is from Andalucía, but both are spanish regions and she is really loved in Spain so I guess there’s no big issue.
And I’m latina and we love Rosalía as well, she doesn’t “feel” latina at all, she is very hispanic (her accent makes it hard to understand her spanish pronunciation and she uses a lot of flamenco slangs as well) but she is undoubtely closer to us latinos than the other europeans.
Glad to see Normani getting more exposure. I like her new song, and she looks great as usual. I like Rosalia too.
I’ve watched the Normani video countless times. A performer that is just flat out athletic as the backup dancers. In an interview, she said the part where she does that basketball trick that ends up bouncing on her behind was done in one take!!!!
She’s very pretty but I don’t see it. I don’t know, feels too much like manufactured Beyonce light, if she finds her own voice maybe.