If Normani could collaborate with anyone in music, she says it would be Janet Jackson.
“I feel like our tones would complement each other’s very well,” she says to Galore, crediting her mother for her love of Janet. “One of the greatest inspirations and representation for me has always been my mom. She has always been like ‘Girl, Janet was my Beyoncé, like you don’t even know!'”
It also helps that she got to see Janet perform when she was just a little kid.
“I saw the Velvet Rope Tour at a young age and I probably wasn’t supposed to lol so Janet’s definitely on my wish list,” Normani said of the trek, which took place in 1998 and 1999. She also notes that Jackson’s been “tremendously encouraging” throughout her career.
When discussing what kind of work they could do together, Normani says, “Personally, I would love to do something sexy with Janet.”
“Honestly, we could do a whole album!” she continued. “She’s so multifaceted I can’t even tell you specifically what that one song would be, because I feel like between the two of us, we could do so much.”
Normani’s long been vocal about her love for Janet, previously citing her and Brandy as some of her inspirations.
“They’re literally the reason why I do what I do and why I’m able to be in the position that I am in. … They redefined the standard of beauty, but also the standard in music,” she told Rolling Stone. “I feel like Brandy and Janet have really been disruptive in their own ways. I love the album ‘Discipline’ by Janet.”
She previously paid tribute to Janet in a VMAs performance in 2021.
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