On season 17 of The Voice, superstar recording artist Normani Kordei has been enlisted as one of the advisors helping the artists prepare for their next phase of the competition. Kordei, who rose to fame as one of the members of the girl group Fifth Harmony, knows what it takes to succeed on a televised talent competition: she competed on The X Factor 2012.
During her time on The X Factor, Normani also gained attention for her rumored romance with fellow contestant Arin Ray. According to Hollywood Life, the show teased an off-screen romance between the two with a prerecorded video package that showed them spending time together and engaging in flirty banter. The video immediately followed a comment from Arin that he had a “friend” that he could “possibly be singing [‘Crazy For You’] to.”
During the season, the two even performed a duet to “What Makes You Beautiful” during boot camp. Their sweet chemistry was clear both during the performance and when they hugged one another backstage.
The two never confirmed any kind of romantic relationship, and even if they were privately dating during and after the reality show, there is no indication that they have rekindled any kind of romance in the 7 years since. Furthermore, at the time of publication, neither Normani nor Arin were following each other on Instagram, suggesting that, at least on social media, they are not currently in touch.
In August 2019, Arin Ray released a single entitled “Change,” featuring Kehlani. Although the song’s lyrics and music video are romantic in nature, the two appear to be collaborators and friends rather than in a relationship.
Normani released new music in August 2019, too, when her first solo single “Motivation” dropped. Normani has been linked to Khalid in the past, especially after they released their duet “Love Lies,” but Normani asserted in an interview with Hot 97 that the two are just good friends. She said “The thing is, we don’t even take each other that seriously. Like, we were on Fallon, and there’s supposed to be this super serious part at the end where we’re supposed to look at each other, right? And it’s supposed to be this tension. We laughed. Because we don’t take each other seriously in that way. I love him so, so much but we’re the best of friends.”
Before accepting a position as an advisor on season 17 of The Voice, Normani returned to the world of reality television competitions as one of the star cast members of season 24 of Dancing With the Stars. During the season, a potential romance between Normani and her fellow competitor Bonner Bolton was teased. Although the two admitted to having crushes on one another and, according to Live Ramp Up, agreed to go on a date on live television, nothing concrete ever manifested from that short-lived flirtation.
It is not surprising that fans are curious about 23-year-old Normani’s relationship status. For right now, all signs suggest that Normani is single. If she is dating, she is keeping it out of the public eye and keeping the focus instead on her development as a rapidly rising solo artist.
Watch Normani Kordei on The Voice season 17, starting Tuesday, October 15 at 8/7c on NBC.