Reviews by ExposingSMG: 7/27
So as you know, I give you a background on my experience with the act first.
This is the first album I heard by Fifth Harmony. I remember seeing them on X-Factor. The songs I’ve heard so far by them are Boss, Worth It, Work From Home, and All In My Head (Flex). They have nice radio songs. Their 4 four songs I heard so far aren’t my cup of tea, but they’re cute songs. Let’s start.
Quality
1. That’s My Girl
Automatically a nice beat drops and I’m like O OKAY this is cute! This song is nice. It’s like a women empowerment song. The chorus is repetitive but has a nice beat.
ain’t nothing ain’t nothing
2. Work From Home feat. Ty Dolla Sign
This song was pretty big. It’s definitely a song made for radio. It’s a cute song with a repetitive and radio friendly beat. Not my cup of tea, but it’s still a nice catchy song. Ty Dolla Sign’s part was nice but kinda useless. I feel like they had him in there so Fifth Harmony can get exposure to a different audience and therefore get another hit like Worth It.
3. The Life
The song starts and suddenly I’m confused. I don’t know what whoever is singing is saying, but then the intro to the chorus starts and I like the “this is the life this is the life” part, but then I’m lost after that. It’s just an annoying song in general and again, another repetitive chorus. “We da best in the biz” this song sounds like a 2012 Disney reject.
4. Write On Me
This is definitely a different sound for Fifth Harmony. It starts off with a slow guitar and a smooth beat. I like it already. The chorus is nice. Not repetitive, surprisingly. They should make more songs like this as opposed to the headache I just heard before.
5. I Lied
As soon as the song starts, I’m taken back to 2010. The chorus is cute but then there’s a useless beat that accompanies it. Who told them that was a good idea? I’m feeling the song and then a random beat just comes out of nowhere? It’s not even a good beat drop. The bridge is even worse. “You got that real love the text in the morning the real love.” I’m sorry but this sounds like a rejected tumblr poem.
6. All In My Head (Flex) feat. Fetty Wap
“FLEXXX TIME TO IMPRESS COME AND CLIMB IN MY BED DON’T BE SHY DO YA THANG”
I honestly do not know why she’s yelling at me. And then Fetty Wap comes out of nowhere rapping about god knows what. I can’t even understand him. The following part is nice. The girl who sings the pre-chorus has a nice voice. The chorus however is horrendous along with whoever is yelling at me. They definitely made this is a single because Fetty is in it and they needed another quick radio hit. I need a drink.
7. Squeeze
Reviewing this album is giving me a headache due to the useless beat drops but then this song starts off and it’s already nice and calm. It’s such a cute love song. Whoever sings the chorus, I don’t like their voice. I think it’s the same girl who sings the All In My Head chorus. I just feel like she’s yelling at me. Other than that, it’s a cute song minus the useless beat drops.
8. Gonna Get Better
The song starts with a nice guitar hum and a soothing voice and I can only pray that there’s not a useless beat drop, but then some beat drops and then one of the girls starts singing and I’m like okay.. let me try to like this. The girl with the raspy voice adds a very nice addition to the song. The bridge is very annoying and I literally have a headache. They definitely ran out of ideas for the bridge. However, I love the chorus.
im not gonna leave u nowww i know it’s gon get better
9. Scared Of Happy
The girl with the raspy voice is singing and I like it already. I think that girl is Lauren. Then a squeaky voiced girl starts singing and I’m like okay this is alright…. I like the chorus and the beat is poppin but then ANOTHER USELESS BEAT DROP AND I’VE HAD IT! I’m moving onto the next song.
10. Not That Kinda Girl feat. Missy Elliot
Oh Missy Elliot I hope this is good! So far the beat is poppin’ and I’m like oh I’m feeling this. Some girl starts singing some corny lyrics and I’m like alright it’s cool, the beat is nice. Lyrically, the chorus is very… unsatisfying. “Why you looking like I’m that kinda girl? Just cause I’m hot don’t mean that I’m that girl” Um okay they are stuck with 2012 lyrics. “Don’t get me fucked up” okay…. Let me wait for Missy’s part and I’m already disappointed. Her rap seems like it was handed to her by stan twitter.
11. Dope
This song starts off slow and I already lowered my volume in fear that I’m gonna get surprised by another useless beat drop but I’m wrong. I’m liking the raspy girl’s part (who I think is Lauren, let me know if I’m wrong). The lyrics are dumb, but I like the chorus. There’s a small beat drop (of course there is), but I’ll let it pass since it kinda fits the song. The bridge is annoying because I feel like they’re all yelling at me. It’s like the producer took 3 different verses and laid them on top of each other because he has some sort of vendetta against Fifth Harmony.
i don’t know what else to say but you’re pretty fucking dope
12. No Way
The title of this song is my response if someone asks me if this album is getting my coins.
This song starts off slow. It seems nice and the type I listen to at night. I’m praying to god there isn’t going to be a useless beat drop and so far it’s good. Raspy Girl is singing again and I’m like yas. The chorus consists of soft “nooo waa-aa-y’s” and I already love this. Raspy Girl sings again preaching some breakup lyrics and I’m like wow girl keep going! SUPRISE! The song ended and no shitty beat drop. I’m shocked! I think this is my favorite song on the album.
13. Voicemail
This is on some edition of the album.
The lyrics are about not answering someone’s phone call. I like the chorus. Their verses are pretty stupid though.
14. Big Bad Wolf
This is on the Japanese edition of the album.
This is a good song if you ignore the verses. I like the pre-chorus a lot. The ending of the chorus sounds like a 2012 dance song but it’s overall a nice song. Squeaky Girl voice (who I believe is Camila since she has that kind of voice) adds a nice touch to this song. I really don’t like her voice that much since I just find it extra, but her voice compliments this song.
let me let me give u something to believeeeeee in, you dont gotta you dont gotta have a reason
15. 1000 Hands
This is also on the Japanese edition of the album.
It’s a nice slow song. Nothing too special but it’s nice. It reminds me of a love during Christmas time.
Writing Credits
Out of 15 songs…. not one member of Fifth Harmony wrote a word. Wow.
Lead Single Performance
They performed Work From Home at the 2016 Much Music Awards so let’s judge. To be honest, these girls have stage presence. However, their live singing is kind of embarrassing. For the most part, they’re all pitchy and off-key. The only part that Lauren (chorus girl) sings, she isn’t even really singing it! The short girl (Ally), is always taking like 8 breaths per second and the one who thinks she’s Beyonce sounds like she just ran a marathon before her solo. Normani, the pretty black girl, also sounds breathless but at least she makes up for it in rhythm. Don’t get me wrong, they all look pretty doing their pretty basic choreo of swaying their bodies and putting their arms up in the air, but they’re not that special? And Camila’s screeching at the end is a no from me. Was it a horrible performance? Eh not really. Do they deserve the hype? No. Their choreography seems to consist of swaying their hips and booty poppin in the camera. What happened to real old choreography? You can still look sexy and get in some moves! And what up with that random 9 second dance break at the end of the performance that once again, came out of nowhere like those beat drops in the album?
Their outfits are basic, but cute.
Yeah.. no comment.
Performance: 3 out of 5 stars.
PR or Damage Control
I already talked about this topic in the two Tell Alls that Fifth Harmony were involved in.
I told you that Camila has been recording her debut studio album for a while now and her duet with Shawn Mendes was planned in order to get her solo career hype while she lives on Shawn’s current relevancy as well. I told you that their team had to sit them down and tell them they have to act like they’re not so against the proclaimed lead singer, Camila.
April Tell All Revealed - http://exposingsmg.tumblr.com/post/146482017821/june-tell-all-revealed
June Tell All Revealed - http://exposingsmg.tumblr.com/post/142538143506/april-tell-all-revealed
Here’s what we said in those posts:
Was there any damage control put in place? No not really. The group hasn’t suffered a scandal. Any PR? No not as of now. I guess the only public relationship their team is focusing on is making it seem like the group still loves each other and “girl powa!” when that’s all BS especially with Camila. I mean it’s obvious the rest of the girls aren’t close to her.
Wow they didn’t even try with the deluxe cover.
Final thoughts: I was very disappointed with this album. It lacked meaning. It lacked talent. It lacked quality. Out of 15 songs, I was impressed by like 2 and only liked 6. This girl group seems like they don’t care about any creative expression. I get the vibe that they just want a quick radio hits. I don’t even think they like their own music considering they didn’t even spend time writing a word. They need to focus on actually making quality music as opposed to getting a rapper on a song and calling it a day. More than half of the album sounds like a compilation of a bunch of 2012 recycled beats. No Way is the best song on the album. If they don’t break up soon and actually make a 3rd album, I hope they take constructive criticism to heart and actually attempt to make a genuine record as opposed to being a quick product by the label. Maybe then they’ll sell albums.
2 out of 5 stars.
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