Created through reality television series The X Factor, Fifth Harmony is an American girl band comprising Ally Brooke Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen, Camila Cabello, and Lauren Jauregui. Despite not winning the contest - they took third place - the girls signed with Syco Music, which is owned by Simon Cowell and also with L.A Reid’s label, Epic Records. Since signing, Fifth Harmony has released both an EP, Better Together and a full-length album, Reflection, which reached No. 5 on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the group’s first major tour.
Fifth Harmony pays tribute to their musical idols on Reflection, with the tune Like Mariah using the backdrop from Mariah Carey’s hit Always Be My Baby, and the song Brave Honest Beautiful being inspired by strong, powerful and confident women including Madonna and Rihanna.
The group also won the Artist to Watch gong at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Two of the singles from the album, Sledgehammer and Bo$$, both won Platinum certification in the US, while another single, Worth It, nabbed Double Platinum certification. The latter single featured rapper Kid Ink. As a result of these successes, the girl group has been named the most successful alumni from the X Factor US show, despite being beaten in the final by Tate Stevens and Carly Rose Sonenclar.
The girl band has said that its overall aim is to inspire girls to love themselves and follow their hearts, as the group’s official biography makes clear: “Nowadays so many girls are really harsh online and always bringing each other down, so one of the things we try to do is help bring them back together. We're all about girl power, but this time we're showing our vulnerable side too. We want to girls to know that it's okay to have your soft moments - it doesn't mean you're not strong.”
