Primarily a pop and R&B record, upon release it was met with generally favorable reviews and appeared on year-end lists, including Rolling Stone's best 100 albums of 2024.[4]
Dopamine was supported by the singles "1:59", "Candy Paint" and "All Yours", as well as the previously released "Wild Side" (2021), which reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number 91 on the US Billboard 200.
Background and development
Normani first rose to fame as a member of girl group Fifth Harmony, formed during the second season of The X Factor in 2012.[5] Following the announcement of Fifth Harmony's indefinite hiatus in 2018, plans about Normani's debut studio album first emerged in July, when the singer announced that she had her album title ready. Between 2018 and 2022, she released eight singles, including "Motivation" (2019), which was going to serve as the lead single of her debut album, but did not make the final track listing.[6][7]
On February 21, 2024, Normani announced the title of her debut studio album, Dopamine (an organic chemical), the album cover, and shared an audio snippet on her social media pages.[8][9] Normani expressed that the album is "a representation of [her] evolution" and "everything [she had] gone through to get to this moment". She also touched on the expectations and pressure she dealt with while making the album, as well as having to struggle with both of her parents having cancer.[10] In an interview with Elle magazine, Normani said that the album title "represents the highs and the lows [she has] endured" and that she wanted a title that encompassed everything that she felt she went through in her journey to get to this point in her career.[11]
Release and promotion
On March 23, 2024, Normani announced the lead single from the album titled "1:59", featuring American rapper Gunna, which was released on April 26.[12] The album's release date was then announced during the song's release. Around the same time, Normani also started teasing the release of "Candy Paint", which had been previewed multiple times since 2022, and would share a pre-save link for the song on May 2. A teaser trailer for the album, subtitled "First Dose" was released on YouTube, as well as her social media platforms, on May 22. The trailer featured a guest appearance from Gunna for what was likely a preview of the "1:59" music video, as well as a new snippet of "Candy Paint".[13] "Candy Paint" was surprise-released as the album's second single on Normani's 28th birthday, May 31.[14] It was later reported "Wild Side" (2021) featuring Cardi B would appear on Dopamine.[15] "All Yours" was released as the third single from the album on June 13, a day before the album's release.[3]
On June 11, 2024, Normani teased the album's upcoming release with a promotional video directing fans to call her hotline number, "Hotline 1:59." When called, the voicemail previewed a snippet from the album each day, ending with Normani saying, "Hey, it's Normani, leave a message after the beep." On June 12, 2024, Normani revealed the tracklist to Dopamine on all social media platforms.[16]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Dopamine received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 from 11 critic scores.[18]
Shahzaib Hussain of Clash described the album as "a debut that hits the programmed sweet spot, conversant with contemporary trends and greater R&B and soul traditions."[19] Writing for NME, Nick Levine said that "it may have taken six years, but Dopamine sounds like the (damn) album Normani was meant to make all long."[22]Pitchfork's Heven Haile found Dopamine to be a "solid reintroduction to Normani's sultrier side," while also ambivalently comparing it to Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia in that a "mysteriously cool it-girl persona is thrilling in three-minute doses, but after a couple of tracks with big hooks, you come across some filler."[23]
Nicole Vassell of The Independent wrote that even though "the album will satisfy lovers of understated soul, [...] after so long a wait, you might hope for a bigger dopamine hit than this."[20]The Guardian's Michael Cragg said that "Dopamine understandably strives hard for perfection, but it can feel strangely anonymous at times"; however, he also said that "when Normani fully lets loose, [...] there's a real sense of that superstar everyone hoped to see back in 2018 finally taking centre stage on her own damn album."[1]
