Yet another all-star pop group has decided to call it quits.
Powerhouse girl group Fifth Harmony announced to Harmonizers through an official statement this morning that they are going on hiatus to focus on personal endeavors.
— Fifth Harmony (@FifthHarmony) March 19, 2018
Are we really shocked to hear this news? Not in the slightest. What’s surprising is that they lasted with only four members since Camila Cabello, aka the lead vocalist, left 15 months ago.
Let’s be real, they relied heavily on Camila because she was the one who really held them together because she was their main talent. I wasn’t shocked when she left for a solo career, but even then it caused you to wonder how the remaining four could survive without her.
Once their strongest dancer and vocalist left, they all had to rise to the occasion to keep their performances entertaining for fans. And to be brutally honest, they struggled. They all weren’t strong dancers to begin with and often relied on the same moves every time they hit the stage. Their choreography was fairly easy and they often looked cringe worthy instead of well-prepared and natural. They tried far too hard to be sexy, and their vocals were often weak and lacked personality.
Think of other groups who had a member prematurely leave the group. Did Backstreet Boys survive after Kevin Richardson left in the mid 2000’s? Yes, because he wasn’t a main focus of talent in the group. Did One Direction still give us something to live for after Zayn Malik left? Absolutely, because they still had other talented artists/main vocalists to rely on even though he was gone.
Another thing that drove me nuts was they genuinely seem like four individuals; which was what they were when Simon Cowell put them together in 2012 on X-Factor. It was like they knew they weren’t going to get as much success on their own so they stuck together and tolerated each other while the money and momentum was there but hated having other people to share the spotlight with. Look at them on red carpets; there’s always gaps between them and they never stand in unison. They rarely post group pictures on their personal Instagram’s either, just individual shots of them from a night out or performance.
They were together for six years, which for groups, is a long time. I commend them for their dedication to their fans the entire way through because they recognized their significance in their success. It was nice to have a group/artist genuinely appreciate their fans for all they did.
Fans of the group are absolutely crushed by their decision and are taking to social media to reminisce and thank the ladies. Harmonizers even started the trend #ThankYouFifthHarmony to show their gratitude.
I’m so thankful that I got to be a part of something so special and was there to see you grow through all these years. Thank you for your hard work and all the memories. I'm looking forward to everything all you four have in store for us. Love you forever ❤ #ThankYouFifthHarmony pic.twitter.com/nO2kUsBmI9
— ♕vicky (@5harmania) March 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/unison_my_ass/status/975743209845477376
https://twitter.com/trustchoni/status/975742808601526277
And of course, everyone is wondering, “how will their solo careers go?” The answer is obviously uncertain, but I don’t think they will individually be as big as Camila’s solo career. Sure they might be lucky if someone gets one song to hit the radio, but I think it’s unlikely due to lack of individuality and talent.
But I will admit, they provided our generation plenty of female-empowering anthems and were great role models for young women to look up to. They had hits that I still love to sing with my friends and will go down in history for their music as a five-some.
Well, at least we still have Little Mix and the reunion of the Spice Girls to keep the female empowerment alive through music.
Featured image via “Fifth Harmony” by Jasmine Castaneda / CC BY-NC-SA
