She embarked on a solo career with her 2018 debut single "Love Lies" (with Khalid), which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Her 2019 single, "Dancing with a Stranger" (with Sam Smith), reached the top ten in 22 countries, and earned a Song of the Year nomination at the Brit Awards 2020.

Normani also collaborated with Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion on the Charlie's Angels: Original Motion Picture and Birds of Prey soundtracks.

[9] Normani auditioned for the second season of The X Factor USA in 2012 with a performance of "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin that earned approval from all four judges.

[10] She was cut during the second round of boot camp,[11][12] but was invited back to the show to perform as part of a group with Ally Brooke, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah Jane, and Camila Cabello.

[7][17] Her onstage confidence in the group caught the attention of executive Tunji Balogun, who founded RCA's imprint Keep Cool, and manager Brandon Silverstein, who began working with Normani in late 2017.

[18] In 2015, Normani released two dance videos performing Future's "Fuck Up Some Commas" and Teyana Taylor's "Do Not Disturb" on her YouTube channel.

[19] From February 2016 through January 2017, Normani released covers of several songs, including Tory Lanez's "Say It" and mashups of Drake's "Fake Love"/"Sneakin'", and Solange's "Cranes in the Sky"/"Don't Touch My Hair", with the help of the producers The Invaders.

[30][31] "Love Lies" scored the highest first-week position for a single by a girl group member in the US, debuting at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[34] In April 2018, following Fifth Harmony's indefinite hiatus, it was announced that Normani had become the first ever artist to sign to Keep Cool/RCA Records, ahead of the release of her debut solo album.

[54] In April 2019, the singer made a surprise guest appearance during Khalid's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance set.

[55] In May 2019, Normani was named the most discovered artist by Indian millennials on Spotify India in its first 60 days,[56] since the app was made available in the country on February 26, 2019.

[64] In September 2019, Normani performed a dance sequence on the Savage X Fenty Show by Rihanna, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

[70][71] Normani collaborated with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj on the song "Bad to You", for the soundtrack of the 2019 film Charlie's Angels, released in November 2019.

[73] In January 2020, Normani joined rapper Megan Thee Stallion on the song "Diamonds", which served as the lead single for the soundtrack of the superhero film Birds of Prey (2020).

[77] In August 2020, Normani made a cameo in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's music video for "WAP", alongside Kylie Jenner and Rosalía.

[93][94] She also starred in its accompanying commercial titled Google: Black-Owned Friday, which was directed by Daps, and featured an original song by Normani alongside rapper T-Pain, that sampled "Wake Up Everybody" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

[99] On April 6, 2022, the singer was announced as the face of Cracker Jill, for which she sang a reimagined version of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", along with an accompanying music video.

[100] That same day, she was also announced as the face of AMI Paris' photo campaign for the French brand's L'Accordéon bag, according to Vogue France.

[103] Later that month, Normani appeared in singer Chris Brown's music video for his song "WE (Warm Embrace)", though she received criticism from fans due to his extensive history of violence toward women.

[105] In February 2023, she voiced the character Giselle, a member of the fictional '90s music group The Soul Vibrations, on the second season of the animated Disney+ television series The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder.

[106] In June 2023, Normani collaborated with Bose Corporation to release alongside a dance-themed commercial, previewing her single "Candy Paint".

[114] In March 2024, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of International Women's Day, Normani was one of a number of celebrities had their likeness turned into Bratz dolls.

She has also cited artist such as Aaliyah,[128] TLC, En Vogue, Mya,[129][130][131] Toni Braxton, Selena, Jhené Aiko, Destiny's Child,[6] Mariah Carey,[132] Janet Jackson,[133] Beyoncé,[134] Ciara,[135] Lauryn Hill,[136] Whitney Houston,[137] Brandy,[138] Alicia Keys,[139] Jennifer Lopez,[140] and Britney Spears[141] as influences.

[149] In a 2020 cover story, Teen Vogue argued that Normani charted a "new territory that's rooted in relatability" for black women, while the singer proclaimed "I don't want to be so unattainable.

[150] Normani graced the cover of Rolling Stone's March 2020 Women Shaping the Future issue, alongside Megan Thee Stallion and SZA.

[159] With her intensely choreographed dance routines, Normani has been cited as one of the artists instrumental in the revival of choreography-centric music videos in the late 2010s.

[168] While Natty Kasambala of Dazed, wrote "since the launch of her solo career, she's consistently set the bar for pop visuals with elaborate choreography, trendsetting fashion and infectious hooks that stop people in their tracks.

"[169] Several of Normani's peers and contemporaries have cited her as an inspiration, including Zara Larsson,[170] Lil Nas X,[171] JoJo,[171] Kelly Clarkson,[172] CNCO,[173] Becky G,[174] Jessica Mauboy,[175] WayV,[176] and Dua Lipa.

[186] In August 2016, Normani was heavily racially targeted on social media by fans of her former bandmate Camila Cabello, calling her slurs including the N word, and photoshopping her image to depict her as a slave being "whipped, beaten" and lynched.