Normani

Normani Pays Homage To Janet Jackson With A Gleaming Performance Of ‘Wild Side’ At The 2021 MTV VMAs

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After spending the better part of two years out of the musical spotlight, Normani made her grand return earlier this year with the release of “Wild Side,” he collaboration with Cardi B. The track’s release certainly marked a new era in Normani’s career, one that will hopefully lead to the release of her long-awaited debut album. While a timeline for that project’s release is unknown at the moment, the singer continues to promote the new track with a gleaming performance at the 2021 MTV VMAs.

Normani showed off her dance moves while donning a metallic outfit, all without losing a step with her vocals with the performance. To close the performance, the singer did her own version of Janet Jackson’s iconic 2002 Live In Hawaii performance of “Would You Mind” with help from Teyana Taylor.

Earlier this year, during an interview with Rolling Stone, Normani revealed that she is “about halfway through the album” and added that she hoped to have a lead single for it out by the summer, which she achieved with the release of “Wild Side.” She also spoke about trying to be more open and authentic with her music.

“I want to be able to feel like I was represented in the most authentic way possible because I know what it feels like coming from a girl group and being told who to be,” she said. “[It’s] just overwhelming now to have the opportunity to be all that I want to be.” Normani added, “I want every girl out there to feel like I’m going through the same thing.”

You can watch the singer’s performance in the video above.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Megan Thee Stallion And Normani Had The Time Of Their Lives Hanging Out At The Dolce & Gabbana Show

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What could be better than Megan Thee Stallion or Normani releasing new music? The pair of superstars hanging out having a ball in Italy. Please, let this pave the way for a collab between the two young artists? Both of these musicians have faced the unforgiving and inscrutable pressure of being a famous Black woman in American music, and both have handled it with the kind of grace that clearly inspires their fans just as much as the music does. So there’s something freeing about seeing the two party it up in Italy, looking gorgeous and fashionable at a high fashion party.

Both Megan and Normani are in Italy for the Dolce & Gabbana show — probably among many others — but they found each other at this event, and now that they have, it looks like they’re never letting go. In a series of social media posts, these two icons-in-the-making let everyone know that the Sunday scaries are canceled this week. Live vicariously through their blossoming friendship below, and join me in noting that now that Cardi B has collaborated with each of them, first on “WAP” and then on Normani’s “Wild Side,” that the only logical step from here is Megan x Normani uniting.

Normani Explains How Being ‘Overlooked’ In Fifth Harmony Affected Her Solo Career

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It’s been a few years since smash-hit girl group Fifth Harmony went on hiatus to prioritize solo careers. Members like Camila Cabello were able to find instant solo success while others did not have the same opportunities. After leaving to focus on her own music and upcoming solo album, Normani has spent much time reflecting on her time in the group. She now says she felt “overlooked” while in Fifth Harmony, which has impacted her solo career.

Normani recently sat down with Allure for their September 2021 cover interview, where the singer got candid about her solo career’s trajectory. After describing how she felt “overlooked” as a part of Fifth Harmony, Normani says she now wants to show off her versatility. “I didn’t get to really sing in the group. I felt like I was overlooked,” Normani said. “That idea has been projected on me. Like, this is your place.” She continued that she aims to prove them wrong with her new music:

“My purpose in this work that I do is for other people that feel like they have Black women figured out. There’s so many layers to us, there’s so many textures, there’s so much that we’re capable of doing. Yes, I can throw ass. But I can also give you a proper eight-count, and I can do ballet, and I can do contemporary dance. If I want to sing this pop ballad, then you’re going to love it! While you see my Black face!”

Read Normani’s full conversation with Allure here.

Normani’s Dad Thinks ‘Wild Side’ Is ‘Fire’ Despite The Singer Being ‘Terrified’ To Play It For Him

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Last month, Normani blessed the world with her latest single, “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B — her first lead release in almost two years. The song arrived with a music video that highlighted Normani’s excellent dance skills. The hope is that the song will lead to her debut album. Until then, Normani will continue to promote the song, as she did during a recent appearance on Ebro Darden’s radio show Apple Music 1.

Nomani spoke about “Wild Side” and how she felt about letting her parents hear the sultry track. “You have no idea. I was so terrified to play this song for my dad… terrified… oh my goodness… avoiding it,” she said. “He kept asking to hear the record because everyone else heard it but he didn’t hear it. And my dad is my biggest fan, like I tell you. … He works night shifts. He hustles for his family, and so to get through the night, sometimes he listens to all my records, and he was dying to listen to this one.”

Normani’s dad did eventually hear “Wild Side,” thanks to her mom. “I was just like ‘Dad, um… I’ll play it for you later.’ And eventually my mom ended up playing it for him, and he was like, ‘That sh*t is hard,’ he’s like, ‘That sh*t is fire,’” she said. “And he told me all the time, every single day, I kid you not: He’s like ‘Are you ready to take over the world? Are you ready to take over the world?’ He loves the song, he loves the record.”

You can watch Normani’s full Apple Music 1 interview here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B Responds To Accusations Of ‘Queerbaiting’ In Normani’s ‘Wild Side’ Video

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As usual, new music from Cardi B means lots of huge reactions from fans and critics. While the overall response to Normani’s “Wild Side” video, which features a cameo from Cardi B, is positive, accusations of the two female artists “queerbaiting” with their naked dance scene have begun to pop up. On Friday, Rolling Stone posted about the phenomena of queerbaiting, which is when a straight artist engages in queer romantic or sexual behavior to “bait” queer audiences purely for commercial gain. It can be harmful because it continues to play into the lack of representation for queer audiences by capitalizing on that desire.

But the accusations can also be off base, because interrogating someone’s sexual identity simply because of clothing or dancing in a music video is invasive and harmful, too. That was part of Cardi B’s response to the accusations that were leveled for the “Wild Side” scene, where she was naked, primarily to help hide the growing baby bump. She hadn’t publicly disclosed her second pregnancy at the time the video was shot.

“Uuummmm @RollingStone queer baiting?” Cardi wrote on Twitter. “You do know we was trying to hide a whole baby bump right ?Also I’m married to a man but I have express soo much about my bisexuality and my experiences wit girls. All of a sudden ‘queer baiting’ is the new word & people use it to the ground !”

She followed that initial response up with some more thoughts: “I don’t like this new ‘queer baiting’ word. I feel like it pressure artist to talk about their sexuality or their experiences that they don’t feel comfortable speaking about. If a artist kiss a girl on a video does that means she gotta show videos & text wit wit other women?”

Check out the “Wild Side” video above and decide for yourself.

Cardi B Dons A Leather Bikini To Show Off Her Baby Bump And Rap ‘Wild Side’

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The past month has been busy for Cardi B. Towards the end of June, she popped up at the BET Awards and revealed that she is pregnant again. Then, a few days ago, she hopped on Normani’s new single, “Wild Side.” Now she has brought those two events together in a new Twitter video.

Cardi begins the clip lip-syncing Normani’s hook while wearing a green mesh outfit. When it comes time for Cardi’s verse, everything changes. The scene shifts to Cardi sitting on a black box and wearing a leather bikini, which offers a good look at her baby bump.

After the original “Wild Side” video dropped, Cardi declared that had she not been pregnant, the visual would have looked a lot different. She tweeted, “If I wasn’t pregnant I would of done a lit ass pole video to wildside ….but I am so imma just have to do a video rolling on the floor like peppa pig.”

Also recently, Cardi showed off how she was able to hide her baby bump for so long by demonstrating with a video that made clever use of angles.

Check out the “Wild Side” clip above.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B Wishes She Could Do A ‘Lit Ass’ Pole Dance Routine To ‘Wild Side’

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After two years of waiting, Normani finally gave fans a new single with “Wild Side,” an effort that will hopefully bring us closer to the release of her debut album. While the new song was certainly a surprise for her supporters, another unexpected aspect of it was the guest verse from Cardi B. While it marks the first time the two collaborated on a song together, though Normani did appear in the video for Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.” As fans continue to enjoy the new song, Cardi took to Twitter to share one way she wished to promote the song.

“If I wasn’t pregnant I would of done a lit ass pole video to wildside,” she wrote. “But I am so imma just have to do a video rolling on the floor like peppa pig.”

Whether or not the rapper actually goes through with the video remains to be seen, but if she does, it will surely be an entertaining sight.

Cardi’s tweet comes after she revealed that her verse on “Wild Side” was not the original one she wrote. She previously shared a gif of a mischievously grinning Wendy Williams to Twitter and wrote, “Sooo I did a verse and Normani team said they wanted nastier. Sooo I was like alright …. Your wish is my command.”

You can read Cardi’s tweet above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here’s 5 Looks At Normani’s ‘Wild Side’ Slays

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It’s perfectly fitting R&B crooner Normani dropped a track called “Wild Side” – with Cardi B. Never one to shy away from some action, the title couldn’t fit her personality better. From thirst traps to flexes to endless stunning modeling shots, Nor makes sure to live her life to the fullest and make sure social […]

Cardi Recorded A New Dirtier Verse For Normani’s ‘Wild Side’ Because The Original Wasn’t ‘Nasty’ Enough

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Once you’ve made a song like “WAP,” you’ve probably raised the bar on what people will let you get away with indefinitely. That certainly seems to be the case with Cardi B’s verse on Normani’s new song “Wild Side.” The rapper revealed on Twitter that after submitting her original verse for their collaboration, the singer apparently thought it was too tame, requesting Cardi to bring more “WAP” energy. Naturally, Cardi was happy to oblige.

Responding to a fan’s comment calling her “nasty nasty” and opining that it makes sense to have Cardi on a song like “Wild Side,” Cardi posted a gif of a mischievously grinning Wendy Williams and explained, “I did a verse and Normani team said they wanted nastier. Sooo I was like alright …. Your wish is my command.”

So far, it looks like Normani’s request is paying off. The song has become an instant hit with fans on Twitter, who were quick to fill timelines with enthused reactions to the video’s risque imagery and bold artistic direction. The track is Normani’s first single release since 2019’s “Motivation” (which likewise received an overjoyed reaction from fans) and may single her readiness to begin promotion on her solo debut album in earnest.

Cardi, meanwhile, has been whetting fans’ appetites for her follow-up album to 2019’s Invasion Of Privacy with features on projects from Migos and Pop Smoke, as well as an appearance in the latest Fast & Furious movie.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.