Last night, Normani finally dropped "Motivation," the new single from her highly anticipated debut album, and, yes, it's a banger!!!
View this video on YouTube
*slams the replay button*
The music video, which is also 🔥🔥🔥, pays tribute to artists from the '90s and early 2000s, and already has fans piecing together all of the throwback pop culture references in it.
motivation at midnight !!!! so excited ahhhhhh hope you love it ✨ y’all know I love the early 2000’s
Here are all of the artists Normani paid homage to, according to Twitter:
Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez:
Normani did what she had to do!!! PERIODTTT! She payed homage to early 2000’s music and music videos while also making it her own! Ugh the FLAVOR (Beyonce crazy in love- jlo I’m real remix)
Britney Spears:
okay @Normani’s video for #Motivation is 🔥. I noticed (and correct me if I’m wrong) subtle nods to certain iconic music videos of the 00’s. Beyoncé — ‘Crazy in Love’ Britney Spears — ‘...Baby One More Time’ Jennifer Lopez — ‘I’m Real (Remix)’ might be forgetting one more.
Ashanti and 3LW:
Miss @Normani gave us some Ashanti. Some 3LW. Some NOLA. BIIITCH. OUR GOOD SIS HAS COME TO GIVE US #Motivation
Ciara and Omarion:
In #Motivation By Normani I seen Homage to Beyoncé- Crazy In Love Ciara- 1,2 Step Omarion- Touch Britney Spears- Baby One More Time What else did I miss??
Janet Jackson and Mya:
#Motivation, both the song & video, by @Normani FEELS like so many of the artists that have inspired her... from Beyonce to Ciara, from Janet to Mya. The song gives you nostalgic vibes. It pays homage to those that have influenced #Normani, while she carves out a lane of her own.
Aaliyah:
@Normani ‘s makeup in the beginning of #Motivation gives me #Aaliyah “Rock The Boat” vibez. is it just me?
It's all very meta, when you really think about it...
she is CITING j-lo with this video. early beyonce. britney. she is paying homage to that legacy while AT THE SAME TIME projecting herself—thru time & thru the eyes of a black girl watching TV—into that very canon. I love 😭 #Normani https://t.co/IcCB1pMD65
This person summed it up perfectly.
I don’t think y’all understand. I DON’T THINK YALL UNDERSTAND. Like yes it was super fun and upbeat but that fact that it also represents how normani is to little black girls what 90s/2000s black female artists were to her! The layers! The metaphors!
In other words, Normani DID what she had to DO! 👏🏾
