Normani revealed how her parents’ cancer diagnoses prompted her to temporarily halt her music career.
The Motivation singer, 27 – who recently announced her long-awaited debut album Dopamine – explained how her mom, Andrea Hamilton, and dad, Derrick Hamilton, had been struggling with serious health issues during a recent interview with Who What Wear.
Andrea was in remission from breast cancer for over 20 years before it returned in October 2020, while Derrick was also diagnosed with cancer a year later, which sent the pop star through a ‘rollercoaster of emotions.’
Given the circumstances, Normani quickly redirected her attention from her album to prioritize the well-being of her parents.
‘F— all of this. This is bigger than the music. It’s bigger than what I’m trying to accomplish,’ she told the outlet. ‘This is life or death. All I wanted to do was be there for them.’
Her music, however, emerged as the resilient force that ultimately guided both her and her family through the harrowing ordeal.
‘Honestly, music got them through the cancer treatments,’ Normani said.
‘I remember being on FaceTime with my mom while she was undergoing chemo and her asking me, ‘How’s the studio today? How’s the music coming?’ she continued.
‘As hard as it was for me to not be with them as much as I wanted to, ultimately, pushing through made the circumstances of the last few years feel a bit lighter for my parents.’
She went on to say that she realized she had an ‘opportunity to make an impact in this lifetime’ after watching her parents’ struggles.
‘I know everything I’ve been through isn’t in vain,’ she added.
‘There’s always something that God wants me to see in the season. It’s all in service of making me better for all that he actually has in store for me.’
In August 2021, Normani revealed Andrea was in remission, however, she did not give an update on Derrick’s condition at this time.
On Wednesday, Normani unveiled the title of her debut solo album, Dopamine.
The star began her musical odyssey with Fifth Harmony in 2012, leaving her mark on the group’s albums Reflection (2015), 7/27 (2016), and Fifth Harmony (2017).
In February 2018, she unleashed her debut solo single, a collaborative effort with Khalid titled Love Lies.
In the subsequent month, Fifth Harmony announced an indefinite hiatus.
