Fifth Harmony have had an eventful 12 months – and are opening up about their rollercoaster in the newest issue of Billboard magazine.
Last year, the group broke new ground when their hit ‘Work From Home’ became the first top 10 by a girlband in almost a decade. However, controversy followed come the end of 2016 when Camila Cabello departed in dramatic fashion.
With comeback single ‘Down’ serving as a summer sizzler, the ladies are promising a fiercely personal housing album – a project they’ve written over half of.
Ahead of its arrival, the quad do away with the political correctness and wax candid about a whole host of topics.
Peep excerpts below…
On Camila’s Exit & The Aftermath:
“Try experiencing it,” retorts Lauren Jauregui. The rest of the group, as it so often does, rushes in to complete her thought. “I was literally going to say that,” Normani Kordei quickly adds. “I get to sleep at night knowing we did everything in our power as friends, bandmates and human beings” to make it work. Then Ally Hernandez: “You can’t change people.” And finally, Dinah Jane Hansen: “Let’s just say we’re in a better place now — there are no secrets in this circle.”
On Making Key Business Changes & Weathering Label Issues:
The long road to liberation began with 5H hiring outspoken music lawyer Dina LaPolt at the end of 2015. “I sat the girls in a hotel conference room and for five hours educated them on trademarks, copyrights and rights of publicity,” says LaPolt, who soon helped secure them new management with the preeminent firm Maverick (Madonna, U2, Miley Cyrus). “Then I educated them about every agreement they signed, which [were] the worst I’ve ever seen in the music business.”
LaPolt successfully transferred the Fifth Harmony trademark from Cowell to the group, meaning the women now own the name, along with the right to control how it is used and to profit from any deals. (The agreement — signed in April 2016, months ahead of Cabello’s exit — doesn’t name Cabello in the “Fifth Harmony Partnership.” “I don’t represent Camila,” is all LaPolt will say.) She then renegotiated 5H’s contract with Epic, which she characterized as “a very adversarial” process.
LaPolt and 5H stress that the group’s relationship with Epic is now good. The women count among their “saviors” the label’s senior vp A&R Chris Anokute, who came onboard near the end of making 7/27. “We raised our voices,” says Hansen, “and to have someone in our corner like Chris, who believes in us, is the most important element to make the wheels go.”
On Solo Ventures:
“Last year, we all learned a lesson about mental health and making sure you step away from something. It just makes this stronger,” says Jauregui. “Fifth Harmony is the home base,” offers Kordei, “where we always come back.” “Yasss,” says Hernandez.
Elsewhere, 5H reveal they have teamed up with the likes of Skrillex, Pooh Bear (Justin Bieber), and Harmony Samuels (Destiny’s Child, Ariana Grande, Ciara) on their third LP.
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The complete interview definitely makes for a riveting read and provides ample insight into the fuller picture of the 5H narrative.
They definitely have a lot of mileage left as a four-piece, so here’s hoping their upcoming campaign hits the mark.