Last summer Fifth Harmony surprised me at my desk and almost gave me a heart attack. That’s not an exaggeration—well, I didn’t have a heart attack, but I did blush, freak out, and stutter, as you do when your favourite pop group shows up to your job on a normal, humdrum Tuesday. Here’s video proof:
. @FifthHarmony surprised me at my desk and I’ll never be the same. #FifthHarmony #5H pic.twitter.com/qnzCiXxNoy
— Christopher Rosa (@chrisrosa92) June 20, 2017
I’ve been a loyal Harmonizer since the group’s X-Factor days, when they were originally called LYLAS (cringe) and judge Demi Lovato made that shady comment about how Camila Cabello was the only one who “shined” (which is ironic now given what happened in December 2016 when she left the group).
I followed them from “Miss Movin’ On” to “Down” and attended concerts everywhere from Miami to New York City. I’ve watched that video of them singing “Here We Go Again” in the bathroom, like, 10,000 times, and the humour of Dinah Jane calling the other girls “children” even though she’s the youngest isn’t lost on me.
But here’s the thing: Even I’m OK with the group going on an indefinite hiatus. Fifth Harmony announced Monday morning (March 19) on Instagram they’re taking a break to pursue solo endeavours. Their scheduled shows for the rest of the year will still go on as planned, but after that, they’ll go their separate ways.
“Reflecting on the past six years since we started on X-Factor, we’ve realized just how far we’ve come and we appreciate everything so much, more now than ever,” the group’s note read. “We’ve really had one hell of a memorable journey together and can’t begin to express our gratitude to y’all for coming along with us on this wild ride!”
A post shared by Fifth Harmony (@fifthharmony) on Mar 19, 2018 at 6:00am PDT
My first thought reading this wasn’t, “Oh no! My faves!” I didn’t break out in tears or curl up in the fetal position. My heart rate is normal. To be honest, I saw this coming—and if you’re a fan, you did too. And you know it’s the right decision.
For one, it’s what the women in the band want to do. It’d be selfish and wrong to expect Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, Ally Brooke, and Normani to continue if their hearts aren’t in it. Also, let’s be real: The band just hasn’t been the same since Cabello left in 2016. That’s not to say Cabello is more or less talented than the other women, but when you lose a teammate it’s hard to hit the same stride. Their last album was great, but it lacked the oomph and flavour that defined Fifth Harmony’s earlier songs. It felt phoned in.
And perhaps it was. Maybe the women of Fifth Harmony simply grew tired of operating as a unit. That seems to be the case from their statement: “In order to stay authentic to ourselves and to you, we do need to take some time, for now, to go on hiatus from Fifth Harmony in order to pursue solo endeavours.”
The word “ authentic there is key because remember: As much as the women of Fifth Harmony like each other and enjoy performing together, they were never fully authentic. They were five solo acts brought together by Simon Cowell on The X-Factor. They wanted to be individual pop stars but agreed to become a group because it was the only option available to them. Each member probably never let go of that original dream of being a stand-alone singer, and that’s why this is happening right now.
We’ve seen this time and time again with manufactured pop groups. One Direction, The Spice Girls, *NSYNC—all were formed by a pop music machine, and all dissolved once the song-and-dance act became too stale. You can only go on living a lie for so long.
As a diehard fan, I want the women of Fifth Harmony to live their truths—as cliché and dumb as that sounds—and if that means breaking up for now, then so be it. Who knows, maybe they’ll reenergize on their own and come back in a few years stronger and better than ever. Maybe Camila Cabello will join them again. This isn’t a goodbye from Fifth Harmony; it’s just a “So long for now.”
What we should say goodbye to, though, is the idea of manufactured musicians. Fifth Harmony and the groups I mentioned earlier are proof this formula doesn’t work anymore—no matter how many banal radio hits come from it. The fire may burn brightly for a second, but it always fades, leaving fans devastated. Authenticity is what has true longevity—and it won’t break your heart.
Taken from GLAMOUR US. Click here to read the original.
Want more breaking celebrity news? Click here.
