It seems like it was only yesterday that former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello announced she was leaving the group. The announcement shocked all after the group announced her dismissal just a short time after their New Year’s performance at the end of 2016. Two years, an album and many performances later, the remaining members of the group: Dinah Jane, Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui and Ally Brooke, announced they were going separate ways.
Now, the former bandmates will find themselves grouped together once again as they’ve all been nominated for the same category at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.
Earlier this month, iHeart Radio released its nominations for each category. Former Harmonizers were shocked to see that the category of Choice Breakout Star consisted of all four ladies who saw the group to the end.
Although not everyone has been following former Fifth Harmony members, many people, myself included, have been watching and reacting to all of their solo moves to see who is really “Delivering” the content we need.
Ally Brooke
Ally Brooke Hernandez seems to be the member who was the most committed and in love with Fifth Harmony. Despite the other girls constantly mentioning wanting to explore their own sound, the pop singer voiced her hope for the group’s growth. Although she may not have obsessed over it as much as the others, Brooke still took the opportunity to release her own collaborations. Some of her work includes:
- “Look at Us Now” released June 9, 2017 with A$AP Ferg
- “Last Christmas” cover released November 16, 2018
- “Perfect” released January 26, 2018
- “Vamonos” released November 23, 2018
Review: Ally has done quite a bit on the side with electronic pop artists and producers. It seems like her music is headed in the EDM direction. However, she seems to keep doing guests spots on shows like the Oscars, so it’s hard to take her seriously as an artist.
Dinah Jane
The youngest member of the girl group had the closest relationship to her fans on social media. Jane would constantly share clips of her covering songs or jamming to her favorites at the moment. It was expected that she’d go in an R&B direction, but she was the last member to branch into a musical collaboration with other artists.
- “Boom Boom” released in 2017 with RedOne, Daddy Yankee and French Montana
- “Bottle Up” released September 21, 2018 with Ty Dolla $ign
Review: Both of Dinah’s songs fall under the trap/R&B genre and have been pretty successful on the charts. However, neither release has had longevity past the day of its release. Dinah hasn’t released an entirely solo project yet, which seems like a marketing move to use the name of other artists to give her a wider audience. But because she isn’t releasing or promoting anything, she becomes forgettable in the mix.
Normani Kordei
During her entire time in 5H Kordei expressed excitement for the day she would get to explore her own sound, citing artists like Rihanna and Beyoncé as sources of inspiration. However, similar to Dinah Jane, it took a while for Kordei to collaborate with any artist or share music with fans that wasn’t a cover. Once she had, it seems like she’s a star on the rise. Normani is the name on many stars’ minds and is looking to release her first solo album in the coming months.
- “Love Lies” released in 2018 with Khalid
- “Checklist” and “Slowdown” released Oct. 22, 2018 with Calvin Harris
- “Dancing with a Stranger” released January 11, 2019 with Sam Smith
Review: It seems like Kordei rose to prominence within the last year alone. Although she kept her fans occupied with covers and dance videos, it was her collaboration with her friend and fellow rising artist, Khalid, that shot her into mainstream success. She’s hinted at huge artists who will feature on her upcoming solo album, and it seems like her music career is just popping off.
Lauren Jauregui
As one of the most individualistic members of the group, Jauregui was the first to pursue separate collaborations following Cabello’s separation. While she noted singers like Amy Winehouse and Etta James as huge influences, Jauregui also had a love for a wide variety of musical genres, and it seemed like any music she released had a different sound.
- “Back to Me” released in 2016 with Marian Hill
- “All Night” released in 2018 with Steve Aoki
- “Expectations” released in 2018
- “More Than That” released January 11, 2019
Review: Despite having one of the earliest starts for collaborations that were separate from the group, Jauregui has kept a very low, musical profile up until this year. Jauregui has been very active on social media since the split, especially once her relationship with rapper Ty Dolla $ign went public, but kept her music news lowkey. At one point, she mentioned to fans that she was writing and created music, but she was only going to release what felt right at the right time. It seems like the time is now as she’s just released two back-to-back singles that have received positive recognition from fans both old and new. It seems like everyone is interested in what’s going to come next for her.
And the winner is…
I think the obvious race in this category is between Lauren Jauregui and Normani Kordei. However, I think the anticipation for Kordei’s album and her recent high-profile collaboration with Sam Smith is going to take her over the edge. I mean, Beyoncé talked to her. And when Beyoncé speaks to you, it can only mean success.
Who do you think is going to take home the award? Which member are you rooting for? Fingers crossed your favorite comes out on top, but it’s clear that this group is full of show-stopping talent, whether together or apart.