Normani: Where is She Now?

Normani Kordei is an American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actress, best known for being a member of ex-girl pop group Fifth Harmony. She competed in season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, and her collaborations with popular artists such as Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ariana Grande. 

Normani was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 31, 1996. Shortly after she was born, when she was three, she moved to New Orleans with her family. She lived there until she was nine years old. In 2005, when she was nine, reports of Hurricane Katrina began to hit the news. Her family fled to Baton Rouge, which is a city over an hour from their home in New Orleans. Their home was destroyed in the storm, and her family relocated to Houston, Texas, after New Orleans became very unfit to live in. 

 By sixth grade, her family decided she should be home-schooled to better encourage her big dreams. Normani started taking dancing classes when she was three after she moved to New Orleans. Her mom was a trained dancer and her grandma had been a majorette. Normani and her mother would travel back and forth between Houston and Los Angeles for any acting, singing, or dancing audition that was available. Normani was a finalist in the Miss Texas competition in 2012. 

In 2012, Normani auditioned for America’s Got Talent, but she never made it past the producers. While she was trying her best to become a star, her parents were financially struggling. She recognizes that her parents never put that burden on her, and today, her mom accompanies her on her tours. 

Fifth Harmony was a pop group that formed in 2012. All the members auditioned for X Factor as solo artists but were considered not strong enough to continue competing on their own. The members were strangers until the show’s judges Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and L.A. Reid put the five girls together and formed a group. The five girls that made up Fifth Harmony were Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, Normani, and Camila Cabello.

Fifth Harmony was very successful, they were often compared to Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child. The departure of one of the group’s members, Camilla Cabello, in December 2016 led the group to eventually split after six years together in March 2018 in order to pursue solo careers. 

After Fifth Harmony ended, RCA Records signed Normani to a solo deal. Her first solo single titled “Love Lies” was released in 2018 and featured Khalid. This song was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Love, Simon, which reached number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Normani frequently hails Beyoncé as her biggest music inspiration, she’s also been inspired by Jhené Aiko and Janet Jackson. Over the years, she has released six more singles and has been hinting at an album since last May.  

Apart from her musical success, Normani has also had a couple of collaborations with major companies. In November 2019, she was announced to be the new global ambassador for Savage x Fenty, a lingerie line founded by well-known singer Rihanna. After that, in 2020, Normani was announced as a new Urban Decay campaign spokesperson. Her most recent collaboration was with Cracker Jack’s latest snack campaign, Cracker Jill, in April 2022. She is excited to be the face of it, stating that the brand morally speaks with her. 

Today, Normani lives in San Fernando Valley, California. She continues writing new music and being very active on social media. Normani does not have any upcoming tours or events. A release date has not yet been set for Normani’s debut album.