In “Motivation”, Normani wants to keep her lover invested on her by keeping him “motivated” and giving him “innovation”. The song was first teased on August 2, 2019, when Normani posted a snippet of the track on her Twitter. She later confirmed during a Rolling Stone Morning Sessions interview that Ariana Grande co-wrote the song. Normani had been Ariana’s opening act for the better part of 2019.

“Motivation” was eventually offered to Normani. The song’s upbeat vibe was everything she had been yearning for:

I was looking for […] a song that would let me showcase everything I’m capable of from a performance stand­point, and with this song, I realised I had the opportunity to do that