7/27: Fifth Harmony
SONY DADC, Rs 499
Simon Cowell’s The X Factor has produced some good artists down the years, from solo acts to boy and girl groups. One of the more popular bands is Fifth Harmony, an American all-girl group spinning some notable songs and some which we might not want to really talk about.
Dinah Jane Hansen, Ally Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui, bring out sugary pop-R&B songs, dance pieces and a few mushy tunes on this album. The girls have that extra oomph and personality to take them far.
Fifth Harmony speaks of matters close to the heart and boy-girl relationships of the adult kind. On the opening track, the very catchy That’s My Girl, they sing: “Destiny said you got to get up and get it / Get mad independent, don’t you ever forget it”, to some funky bass and electronic drum roll. We also have the Rihanna chorus coming in to help out the girls when they yell out “Work, work, work, work” on their track Work From Home. If it worked for RiRi, it’s working for these five damsels.
Trying out some EDM might work in their favour when you listen to The Life. You get a look into the girls’ private lives when they open up on Write On Me, co-produced by Kygo, with its trippy house sound. They chant: “Everything is grey until you draw me / touching on my body like you know me.” It appears that all the five feel the same way, and show off their physical attributes in a few images on the CD inlay. I Lied is like an answer to Michael Bolton’s Said I Loved You But I Lied. Expect a bit of reggae on All In My Head (Flex) that features Fetty Rap, a Beyonce call and answer piece.
Not That Kinda Girl is a bouncy, retro electro piece that brings R&B diva Missy Elliot to the fore, shooting off her talent in front of the girls. Squeeze, a mid-tempo balladic piece is a top favourite; its finger-snapping bang on. The catchy chorus with an equally catchy beat will make you sing along. “Put your arms around me baby, and squeeze, only you know how to save me, put your arms around me baby and squeeze.”
Bonus track, Dope, spacey and electro styled, can be given a miss for its crude lyrics. No Way ends the album and is impressive, speaking of how the girls grapple with a complicated relationship despite many talking about them.
The five powerhouse vocals are unbeatable. It’s a sweet 40 minutes to spend with one of the top girl bands around. Includes lyrics.
Verus Ferreira is a music journalist for over three decades. He is the author of The Great Music Quiz Book and The Great Rock Music Quiz Book and the founder of Musicunplugged.in
