Honestly, if you were anywhere near a radio between 2012 and 2016, you couldn’t escape them. The thumping bass of "Worth It," the construction-site energy of "Work from Home"—the Camila Cabello group, better known as Fifth Harmony, was everywhere. But behind the matching outfits and synchronized hair flips, things were... messy. Really messy.
They weren't childhood friends. They weren't even a local band that worked their way up through dive bars. They were five solo teenagers—Camila Cabello, Lauren Jauregui, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, and Ally Brooke—who got rejected on The X Factor USA and then shoved together by Simon Cowell because he saw dollar signs. It worked. For a while.
The Formation of the Camila Cabello Group
Most people forget the group almost didn't happen. They all auditioned as solo artists. They failed. Then, in a classic reality TV twist, they were called back to form a girl group. They went through names like LYLAS (Love You Like A Sister) and 1432 before the public finally settled on Fifth Harmony.
It was a manufactured start, and that matters. When you're 15 or 16 and forced into a high-pressure "work family" with four strangers, the cracks are going to show eventually. By the time they released their debut EP Better Together in 2013, they were already the biggest girl group in the US. They were living the dream, but they were also living in each other’s pockets 24/7.
Why the Tensions Started
The "Camila Cabello group" dynamic was complicated from the jump. Labels often pick a "lead," and while Fifth Harmony was marketed as a democracy, the spotlight frequently tilted toward Camila. This wasn't necessarily her fault, but it definitely fueled the "Camila and the backup singers" narrative that fans (and likely the other girls) hated.
Then came the solo projects.
In 2015, Camila released "I Know What You Did Last Summer" with Shawn Mendes. To the outside world, it was just a catchy pop song. Inside the group? It was the beginning of the end. Camila later told the New York Times that she wanted to stay in the group while also writing her own music, but she was basically given an ultimatum.
The Breakup That Broke the Internet
December 18, 2016. That’s the date etched into every Harmonizer’s brain. The group’s official Twitter account posted a statement saying they had been informed "via her representatives" that Camila was leaving.
Camila hit back almost immediately. She posted her own statement saying she was shocked by their version of events. She claimed the girls knew her feelings and that she never intended to end things that way. It was a classic "he said, she said" played out in front of millions of followers. One day they were a five-piece performing at Jingle Ball; the next, they were a quartet with a very public grudge.
The 2017 VMA "Dummy" Incident
If you want to know how much bad blood there was, look at their 2017 MTV Video Music Awards performance. The four remaining members stood on a high platform. A fifth silhouette stood with them, only to be violently yanked off the stage as the song started.
It was a loud, clear message: We’re better off without her.
Life After the Split (2018–2026)
The "Camila Cabello group" didn't just stop existing when she left. The remaining four—Normani, Lauren, Dinah, and Ally—released a self-titled album in 2017. It was good. It was grittier. But the momentum had shifted. By March 2018, they announced an indefinite hiatus.
Since then, the career paths have been wild:
- Camila Cabello became a certified A-lister with "Havana" and "Senorita," though her later albums like C,XOXO took a more experimental, "hyper-pop" turn.
- Normani became the queen of "coming soon." Her debut album Dopamine finally arrived years after the initial hype, proving she had the talent but maybe not the management support she needed early on.
- Lauren Jauregui went the independent, soulful route, focusing on EPs like Prelude that felt way more "her" than anything the group ever did.
- Ally Brooke did Dancing with the Stars and leaned into a mix of Latin pop and holiday music.
- Dinah Jane took a step back for a while to focus on her mental health before returning with a more R&B-focused sound.
What Most People Get Wrong
People love a villain. They wanted to cast Camila as the "diva" who abandoned her sisters, or the other girls as "bullies" who pushed her out. The reality is probably much more boring: it was a business.
The contracts were grueling. The girls were teenagers who grew up and realized they had different musical tastes. You can't expect a group formed on a TV show to stay together forever. It's not natural.
The 2025 Reunion Surprise
Just when everyone thought the book was closed, 2025 brought a shocker. Ally, Dinah, Lauren, and Normani reunited on stage during a Jonas Brothers concert in Dallas. It wasn't a full tour, and Camila wasn't there, but it proved the brand still has massive pull. It also showed that, after nearly a decade, the "four" have found a way to be friends again.
Final Thoughts on the Legacy
The Camila Cabello group—Fifth Harmony—remains the most successful girl group of the 2010s. They sold 33 million records. They paved the way for the current era of female pop stars. Whether you're a "Camilizer" or a die-hard Harmonizer, you can't deny that the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry they had between 2012 and 2016 was special.
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If you're looking to dive back into the lore, start by listening to their sophomore album 7/27. It’s the peak of their sound and the best example of why the world fell in love with them in the first place. Watch the "Work from Home" video. Then, check out Camila's debut solo album Camila. The contrast tells you everything you need to know about why she had to leave.
Next time you hear "Havana" on the radio, just remember: it all started with five nervous girls on a stage in Miami, just hoping to make it past the first round.
What to do next:
- Listen to the 7/27 album to hear the group at their commercial peak.
- Watch the 2017 VMA performance to understand the tension of the split.
- Check out the 2025 reunion clips on social media to see how the four-piece has evolved.