The singer told ET that it was 'absolutely freaking terrifying' to release the track.
Normani is entering a new era. ET's Denny Directo spoke to the 25-year-old singer about her latest track, "Fair," and her decision to release music that reflects her, even if it's not what fans expect.
"With 'Fair,' I feel like it was really the perfect record to be vulnerable, to share my most inner thoughts and feelings and what heartbreak looks like for me," she told ET. "I'm still introducing myself. Yes, everybody knows that I can do the dance thing and I can be this diva-esque, confident entertainer, but there's so much more."
Though Normani felt strongly about putting the song out, being that vulnerable was still "absolutely freaking terrifying" for her.
"I always say that it's such a ballsy move, because I know what people expect from me and I know what my fans want, but at a point, it's like, where do I fit into that?" she questioned. "I know what it's like to put out records that I don't necessarily believe in and to do things that are expected of me, but I owe it to myself to put out records that really reflect the growth over the last three years that I've had."
Making the music video for the track was equally nerve-racking and rewarding for the singer.
"I feel like it was therapeutic in a way. Just even shooting the visual, it was definitely triggering. It was the first time that I feel like I was able to really tap into my acting abilities, which I'm really proud of," she said. "I think that, obviously, there were slight nerves going into because I'm having to really emotionally go there and go back to the place that the song was written from, which was incredibly triggering and hard."
Normani added that, "by the end, after all the tears and screaming... it was really dope. I feel like it's one of my best. I'm proud of it."
The success of the song, and the fan response it's generated, has made Normani more sure of her abilities.
"[I've learned] to trust myself more. To trust my abilities and know that God has given me all the tools that I need," she said. "I don't need to seek anything. I have everything that I need in order to step into the destiny that He's creating, and the path that He's set forth for me, so I just need to do it."
As she enters this period of "self-government," though, Normani isn't leaving her fans behind, as she remains extremely grateful for their support.
"For someone that's always felt very overlooked and being the only Black girl in a group, mentally was a lot for me. There were times that I didn't feel seen, and felt unimportant, and my vocal ability wasn't just as amazing," she said. "To come out of that, speaks to, I feel, my resilience, but also the people that have been riding with me since day one. I'm just so grateful for it."
With that in mind, Normani promises her fans that the songs they're expecting from her are all "coming in the summer."
"It will definitely be worth the wait. I hope you guys love it just as much as I do," she said of her upcoming album. "I've obviously spent some years on it... I just hope that they feel closer to me, honestly. That's the beauty in music. People can interpret it however they want, but once it's theirs, I hope they enjoy it."
While they eagerly await the new music, fans can check out Normani's version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," which she recorded as part of her partnership with Cracker Jack, amid their Cracker Jill campaign.
"I wanted to keep it as close to the original as possible while adding my vocal textures and my runs to Normani-fy it just a little bit," she said of the beloved track. "It didn't need much because it's such a classic. I didn't want to lose the integrity of what the record was. That's the beauty of it. It was fun, though. It was fun shooting the music video."
As for the campaign itself, Normani is honored to be a part of it, as it's celebrating the groundbreaking achievements of female athletes.
"She's coming through with vengeance and with full force," Normani told ET of Cracker Jill. "It was a long time coming and I feel like very overdue. But we're here and I'm just really honored to have been asked to be a part of such a monumental moment for the brand."
"I was just really inspired by a lot of women at a young age, whether that had been in music, whether that had been in sports, whether that had been in fashion or modeling," she added. "That representation to me is so key, and it's not every day that you get to partner with a brand that aligns with your vision and what you genuinely believe in."
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