Normani felt "overlooked" in Fifth Harmony.
The 25-year-old singer has claimed she wasn't allowed to sing much when she was in the girl group - who announced an indefinite hiatus in 2018 in order to pursue solo careers - and that, in turn, has dented her confidence as an independent artist on the music scene.
Speaking in the latest edition of Allure magazine, Normani said: "I didn't get to really sing in the group.
"I felt like I was overlooked. That idea has been projected on me. Like, this is your place."
The brunette beauty hasn't had the easiest of times recently as her mother, Andrea Hamilton, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
Normani - who recently released her new single, 'Wild Side' - shared: "This past year, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"For me, this work that I was able to put out into the world really saved me, to be completely honest. "
Even just being on FaceTime with her as she's going through her chemo and her radiation, and just wanting me to update her on how this video is going, and how the music is coming, it really got her through that. It got my family through the darkest time of our lives."
The pop star has, at times, felt guilty about working amid Andrea's health battle.
However, Normani - whose mother first underwent cancer treatment when she was just four years old - has been urged by her family to keep writing and recording new music.
She explained: "For it to happen all over again, in such a pivotal and heightened moment for my career ... there are so many moments I was like, 'I need to be at home' and I felt guilty for not being able to be physically there with her.
"I remember being in the doctor's office with her after she had her surgery in October. She's like, 'Baby, I'm gonna be fine. What I need you to do is focus. I need you to be Normani. I need you to be the best version of yourself. I need you to continue to work hard. We gotta get this music out. We have the world to impact.' She was just like, 'I'm gonna be fine.' Anything that my mom says, to be completely honest, I believe."
