Former Fifth Harmony star Normani takes us back in time in the music video for "Motivation," which dropped on Friday. Starting off with a teenage Normani watching BET's "106 & Park" in her grandma's New Orleans home, her daydream about being a music star quickly becomes reality, as the singer dances her way through the neighbourhood as she promises to "be your motivation to stay and get it tonight."
The throwback video features nods to a number of music videos from Normani's formative years: her intro in low-slung jeans and a white crop top is reminiscent of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," and there are shades of "I'm Real" and "Baby One More Time" in her slick moves on the basketball court. There are also nods to Aaliyah [2], and an undeniable homage to Rihanna's "Umbrella," [3] as Normani writhes around in the rain wearing nothing but diamanté chains. Watch the steamy video for yourself now, and see how many of those late '90s and early '00s references you can spot.