- It's not your first time here at the rodeo,
but this is your first
solo performance.
- Yes, totally different. - Are you nervous?
- I feel like I should be more nervous than I am,
but I'm excited.
This is a moment that I've been waiting for
for such a long time, and I feel like there's so much
bottled up in me-- - Right.
- That I feel like the world has yet to experience,
so I'm more excited than anything just to be like,
this is who I am. - Right.
- This is who I've known that I was all along.
- You got the world talking.
- Thank you. (both laugh)
- Now, "Motivation" is your first single all by yourself--
- Yes. - Stepping out on your own.
- How does it feel? - Incredible.
It's really scary at times, especially 'cause I'm an artist
that's really sensitive about my craft and,
especially 'cause you put so much hard work
into the video and the studio,
and then you give people the opportunity to pick it apart,
but honestly, the reaction
has been really positive and incredible.
I didn't expect it to be as massive as it was.
I was seeing all the different videos
that they were making to recreate the music video
and they learned the choreo so quickly.
They tried the basketball scene,
and got it, that was... I was very impressed.
- But just for the record, was that CGI or was it real,
because it seemed like-- - No, that was real.
Yeah, it was real.
The first time I did it, it didn't look like that.
- Okay. - It was trash.
- Yo, you gotta try out for the
Globetrotters. - But I had time to practice.
(both laugh) I had time to practice.
- Now you mentioned that basketball scene.
Seems like everyone on social media's
trying to recreate it. - Yes.
- Did you anticipate that being such a viral moment?
- Honestly, watching the video, no,
but maybe that's because I watched it, legit,
probably 500 times.
Yeah, there was about 50 edits.
- Oh. - Like 50 different versions
of the video.
We were going back and forth on it.
And I honestly, for myself, I wasn't super confident in it,
which is the crazy thing. - Really?
- Most people probably wouldn't even know,
based on the response that everybody's been giving.
I have to trust the process,
and it's all a growing experience,
and I know, even from here,
I have so many more ideas in my head
and things that I wanna be able to offer, but
I did not think that that was gonna be as viral
as it was, yeah. - Oh, my goodness.
What was the symbolism with the 1996
graffiti outfit? - That's when I was--
that was my year. - Oh, okay.
- Yeah, '96. - A '96 baby.
(laughs) - I'm still a baby,
I guess. (laughs) - And also in the video,
in the beginning, you have your real grandmother
and your cousin-- - Yeah.
- In the beginning of it.
What were their reactions after the video came out?
- My grandma, she, okay.
She's really the star,
I'm telling you.
I was like, "Congratulations!"
I called her when the video came out.
I'm like, "Grandma, congrats.
"You made your debut, girl, you was real cute."
and she was like, "Oh, I been
"debuting on TV." (laughs)
And she's like, "I was on Dancing with the Stars."
She started listing, and she actually,
she had a pretty decent resume,
so-- - She's been in it before.
- She's been in the game
for a minute. (laughs)
- Now, what about the young Normani, your cousin?
- Oh, that's actually not
my blood. - Okay.
- Yes, but that is a very talented dancer,
her name is Janae,
who works under Sean Bankhead, my choreographer--
- Okay. - And she is so, so talented.
I feel like there's any and everything that she can do.
She's a beautiful little actress.
She went in on the dancing, that was only a surface.
She was only scratching the surface.
Because that's what
we needed for that particular moment,
but y'all should really check her out.
- But before everyone saw the video,
Kelly Rowland saw it first, right?
- She did, I was freaking out.
- And it's funny, 'cause she has a hit called "Motivation,"
as well. - I know, what are the odds?
- (laughs) What are the odds? (Normani laughs)
But why Kelly Rowland, why did she get it first?
- Well, I was going through a tough time, I think, mentally.
I'm my worst critic, for sure, and I'm really very,
really, really hard on myself.
Even now, like I was telling you,
I still feel like it could've been better,
even based on what you guys saw,
so it's just like, for me, I'm always trying to
one-up myself and figure out ways
that I can make it better than the last,
and I sent it to her 'cause I was just
stressed out-- - Really?
- Yes, and she was like, "You're buggin'."
(B. Dot laughs) She literally told me,
"You need to calm down.
"You're buggin' a little bit." - Right.
- And she's like, "It's dope."
She's like, "You go in there and editing can change--
- Right. - "So, so much."
- She said, "You go in there
"and you look at every single take."
And that's exactly what I did
for about a week straight-- - Wow.
When did you finally realize that this is perfect?
- Well, I'm telling you.
It never, for me-- - It's never perfect.
(both laugh) - For me,
it didn't get to that point. - Right.
But, I mean, I think that there are definitely moments
when I look back at it and I'm like,
"Okay, this was pretty dope."