Did anyone watch the American edition of The X Factor?... Probably not. Instead of focusing on the passionate contestants such as Melanie Amaro, Emblem3 or Alex & Sierra, viewers were more preoccupied by the antics of judges Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland, Demi Lovato and Britney Spears throughout the show's short three season run. The X Factor was ultimately seen as a failure in kickstarting aspiring artists' career... until girl group Fifth Harmony starting gaining positive traction.
After the group's elimination during the show's second season, the girls of Fifth Harmony wasted no time at conquering the charts. While their debut extended play, Better Together, was sitting nicely at number six on the Billboard 200, the group was enjoying the moderate success of "Miss Movin' On" which eventually peaked at number 76. The track was a thumping, revengeful pop anthem that impressively showcased the powerful vocals of all five members. Though not groundbreaking, the song was a fiery start.
For the lead offering from their top five debut album Reflection, Fifth Harmony moved away from the pop genre to unleash the R&B/hip-hop influenced "BO$$", which barely missed the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Similar to empowering, independent woman anthems from TLC and Destiny's Child, the rowdy, sass-filled track was completed with Kanye West, Oprah and Michelle Obama references. The song was an improvement from their previous release, and showcased a sense of maturity from the young group.
Just when the initial reaction to Fifth Harmony was quietly dying down, the girls surprised everyone by switching up their sound and style once again. For "Sledgehammer", the act's first Top 40 hit, the group went down the well-worn path of synthpop and EDM. "I struggle to contain, the love that's in my veins, and how it circulates," the girls belted as they expressed the difficulty of containing their lovestruck feelings. The song is responsible for keeping the group in the public eye... a very smart single choice.
Capitalizing on the dance/pop success, Fifth Harmony teamed up with Kid Ink for their album's third single, the R&B-inspired "Worth It". Though not the group's most powerful or impressive weapon in their eclectic arsenal, the song's fun and confident vibe has garnered massive praise, so far peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 thus becoming the highest charting girl group single since the Pussycat Dolls back in 2009. The hip-hop track is the song they needed to fuel interest in a sophomore set.
Moving forward, more people will be keeping their eyes on Fifth Harmony. There are numerous fourth single possibilities from Reflection. While swirling rumors indicate that Ariana Grande-sounding, mid-tempo ballad "Everlasting Love" will be chosen as the fourth official offering, it would be wise for the group to keep the summer-charged, high energy of "Worth It" moving with the infectious "Top Down" or intriguing "This Is How We Roll". Both scream immense chart-topping potential.
What I want from Fifth Harmony are explosive live performances, unlike their lip-syncing fiasco on Dancing With the Stars or the recent TODAY show outing. These girls have pipes, I want to see them really using them. Maybe I need to see them in action on tour. Better accompanying visuals would help as well. The music videos for "Sledgehammer" and "Worth It" were decent, but nothing memorable or Vevo-record worthy.
While my first impression of Fifth Harmony was far from glowing, the girls have certainly won me over with their powerful vocal abilities, chameleon-like chart runs and promising potential. In their defense... they just needed a little more time to shape into commendable pop stars.
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