Normani Reveals Why Acting in Her First Film Was 'Freeing': 'I Learned a Lot About Myself' (Exclusive)
Between singing, dancing, acting and even bartending, is there anything Normani can't do?
Nearly a year after releasing her Dopamine album, the "Wild Side" singer, 28, served as Hennessy's celebrity bartender at Dreamville Fest on April 5 in Raleigh, N.C. — as she celebrates her film debut in Freaky Tales, which hit theaters one day prior.
Centered on four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, Calif., Freaky Tales features Normani as Entice, a member of a girl group who faces difficulties while working her way to the big leagues. "It's liberating and very freeing, being able to be creative in a totally different way," the Fifth Harmony alum tells PEOPLE at the festival of acting in the film, which also stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne and others.
Related: Normani Responds to Camila Cabello After She Congratulates Her on Release of 'Dopamine': 'This Seriously Means a Lot'
"I felt like I learned a lot about myself, and I was actually able to celebrate myself and watch myself and not be super critical," explains Normani. "When I get home tonight or maybe tomorrow, I'll take my mom and my dad and my grandma and go to the movie."
Freaky Tales marks the "Motivation" artist's latest major artistic endeavor following the release of her debut album, Dopamine, in June 2024. Since sharing the full-length project with fans, she's felt "grateful" for the support of her "amazing fans" — who've been hoping for some more visuals and performances to accompany the music.
"I got you. We have a lot of special things set up," teases Normani, who's also "always working on new music."
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As for why she chose to team up with Hennessy to kick off the cognac brand's Made for More campaign, the star says, "I love to partner with brands that are very inclusive and just kind of represent everybody."
Normani, who's engaged to NFL star DeKaylin 'DK' Metcalf, was interested in the collaboration after seeing Hennessy's work not only in music but also the sports world, as the brand has partnered with the WNBA, "which I think is really dope," she says. "It's just a really equal, fun, responsible brand, so I was really excited to partner."
Related: DK Metcalf and Normani FaceTime Ciara and Russell Wilson to Share Their Engagement News
Fans who visited the Hennessy Highline at Dreamville Fest were treated to cocktails from Normani as well as a high-energy DJ set from Mannie Fresh, who drew quite the crowd at Dorothea Dix Park.
Held over April 4 and 5, Dreamville Fest featured performances from founder J. Cole as well as Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, PartyNextDoor, 21 Savage, Ari Lennox, Keyshia Cole, GloRilla, Coco Jones and many other artists.
While this year's Dreamville Fest was billed as the fifth and final, Cole told fans during his headlining set that the festival will continue to "exist" in the future under a different name.
Read the original article on People
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