Album Review.
Likes: Deliver, Bridges
Dislikes: He Like That, Angel
Overall: Generic material that's just "cute for now"
 
When a music group or band loses a member, it's expected that their next project will noticeably reflect the change; particularly if the absent party was pivotal and/or popular. In the best case scenario, an altered troupe will use the opportunity to constructively rebrand and come out stronger. At worst, things just won't be the same for the fans and some will scatter. For Fifth Harmony, who became a quartet with the contentious exit of favorite Camilla Cabello last year, it's almost like nothing's changed with their new self-titled album. That might come as a relief to some, but it's concerning to me.

​What's been a consistent issue for Fifth Harmony is that they don't have a distinct musical quality. Their
sassy debut LP, Reflection, captured their confident energy, and the following 7/27 had lyrical improvements, but both were generic and transitory in totality. Anyone could've done those records. Despite the member's having writing credits on 5/10 songs, a difficult situation to sing about, and a need to prove they can rise from the ashes, Fifth Harmony is more of the same basic jingle jangles. Less than half way through each track, you know the whole story musically and lyrically. There are no surprises or curve balls, no slivers of mystery or intrigue. Though bits are catchy, there's nothing you can't live without or can't get anywhere else in a variety of places. The album is so "another day at the office," a few cuts sound like 7/27 reincarnations (ex. "Don't Say You Love Me" is similar to "Write On Me"). Producers include "Work from Home's" Joshua "Ammo" Coleman, Selena Gomez collaborator duo DreamLab, Skrillex and The Stereotypes. It's no surprise that one of the songs I liked the most, "Deliver," was done by The Stereotypes, as they had a hand in most of Danity Kane's discography (another girl-group I enjoyed). Most of this record's producers show up only once in the liner notes, so it's curious that the ordinariness is so steady throughout. I'll give the team points for putting 5H's vocals front and center, however. The number of beauteous harmonies is still painfully low, but their individual parts are well-spread and are given the clarity to not have to compete against rhythms.
 
The content is a regression from 7/27's heartfelt upgrades, being bare -wire and simple. "Bridges," which was co-penned by 5H's own Ally Hernandez and Lauren Jauregui, is the lone standout. A socio-political unity ode, it's a direct response to President Donald Trump's divisiveness: "We won't separate, we know love can conquer hate, so we build bridges; bridges, not walls." Another line I love is: "I believe every woman is a fighter, and I believe every man can stand beside her." There was reason to believe this album's material would be laudable and/or noteworthy, beyond the motivation of Cabello's departure. Jauregui is very vociferous about social matters; I anticipated she'd have plenty of credits and there would be more than 1 song like "Bridges." She only contributed to 2 songs (the other being "Sauced Up"); Hernandez had the most with 4 ("Sauced Up," "Make You Mad," "Messy" and "Bridges").
 
Perhaps everything stayed in place here for fear that breaking away would be too much change for the group's beloved "Harmonizers" (their fan-base's name). Maybe it was their usual culmination of factors: they were slapped together and at a young age, the current industry bar is set low, and their handlers view them as radio robots and not a distinguishable force. That's my theory, anyway. They aren't given material or a branding path that's designed to help them stand the test of time. I'm sure that retaining their name (regardless of being a quartet) and attaching it to this record was intended to make a statement about their resilience and definition. I don't think they want to be limited to or defined by "flash-in the pan" tracks, though.

Album Review.
Likes: That's My Girl, No Way
Dislikes: Work from Home
Overall: Summer-perfect pop; still no real harmonies or strong vocal moments, but the writing has improved some.

I'm one of those listeners that caught Fifth Harmony in their infancy on U.S. X-Factor. I watched them audition individually, be put together and almost win the whole darn thing. I had an early investment. I feel they've progressed steadily, but there are definitely important kinks to smooth out. In terms of their music, they've maintained a wooing, fiery aplomb that grounds them as they coast around styles, so they don't sound like they're having an identity or branding crisis. Last year's Reflection was R&B-laced pop with hip-hop strands. 7/27 (the date of their formation; why the album wasn't released at that time is a mystery to me) is a breezy, jaunty and perfect-for-summer LP of acoustic pop, tropical house and electronic dance. Many of the tracks are an amalgamation of these genres, starting with one type and ending with another, or a different one per section of the song (i.e. verse, chorus and bridge). This can be annoying if you dig a track's initial vibe, but by and large, it earns the producers (which includes Stargate and Alexander Kronlund) points. For example, I would be perfectly fine if "Gonna Get Better" remained a sweet, acoustic "through-thick-and-thin" ballad.
 
The writing has beefed up; it's more pensive and a bit romantic. "Write on Me" (co-written by Stargate and Priscilla Renea, among others) and "No Way" (Victoria Monet) are superlatives. The album wouldn't be complete without some dregs of the low-grade standards of today, though, right? Apparently, the best way to say you're not to be mistaken for an easy catch or lay is "Don't get me f**ked up" (from "Not That Kinda Girl"). The most articulate way to tell a guy he's a treasure is "You're pretty fucking dope" ("Dope"). Lyrics now are so conversational, and not in a good way. The language is casual and ineloquent. There's no effort to have them read like poetry or...well...lyrics. Away from the uncouthness, the funky "Not That Kinda Girl" (featuring Missy Elliott) marks the spot. It's so 80's, that you'd swear it samples Janet Jackson or Prince. "That's My Girl," which singer Tinashe partly penned, hits too: it's fortifying girl-group goodness that will have you ready to attack the day. "Destiny said it, you got to get up and get it, get mad independent and don't you ever forget it," is doubtlessly a deferential nod to one of the biggest-selling female collectives of all-time, Destiny's Child. Part of what made them, and other major groups, so iconic was a signature. No one else could do "Independent Women," but DC. No one else could do "Wannabe" or "Waterfalls" but the Spice Girls and TLC. 5H can't continue to let their sass be their sole discriminating trait (though it's a strong one), while the music lags behind. They have some cute bops, but any other troupe could sing them and it wouldn't make a difference. Moreover, there's nothing that truly showcases their vocal ability, either individually or as an ensemble. Fifth Harmony's their name, but there are barely any harmonies or a cappella moments. The material so far is nowhere near timeless and does them a disservice. At a simple and undemanding level, 7/27 is great to put on and let rip while you clean the house, cruise or host a barbecue. If you have great expectations, hopes and dreams for this party of five (I seriously loved that show), it'll do for now while you wait for things to come together.

Album Review.
Favorites: Boss, Everlasting Love, Reflection, We Know
Dislikes: Them Girls Be Like
Overall: Great, catchy mix of then and now sounds, great vocals, could use better writing

When you audition for X-Factor as a solo act, you're not counting on being clustered with 4 other strangers and expected to compete and operate as a group, should your act win. This being a challenging commission, especially if you're an amateur that doesn't know the 1st thing about blending, no viewer would be surprised if your troop didn't last long beyond the show. Quintet Fifth Harmony (consisting of Ally Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen, Lauren Jauregui & Camilla Cabello) exceeded the usual odds, staying together and spawning 3 gold-certified singles and a top 10 EP (i.e. Better Together)--and they didn't even win season 2! Fans have been clamoring for a full-length album and it's come in the form of Reflection. The blink-of-an-eye rate at which they've developed puts their X Factor contemporaries, like One Direction and Little Mix from the U.K. edition, to shame. Being a few years older and putting pen to pad themselves, Little Mix's lyrical offerings on their latest Salute were more cultivated and less playbook, but musically, they too closely mirrored their predecessors (like TLC, the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child) and seemed like imitators versus innovators. Fifth Harmony has carved out a discernable identity and direction, coming at you with such assuredness, you're hesitant to say they're too little to step in big girl heels. Even more telling, they're able to exude this confidence without the habitual pop tactics of sex and shock-value to feign adulthood and establish presence. You'd think that balancing maturity would be difficult for a group with 4 members at high-school senior age and 1 old enough to be graduating from college (Hernandez), but it's mostly not, though "Them Girls Be Like" is gratingly childish and the fashion for the album's artwork dates them. Their sound is 1 of toughness and confrontational sass that never lets up, with rhythms just as aggressive as they are. Against their tenor, even the mid-tempos drill. Smartly, they build a bridge between what came before them and where they stand now, frequently meshing pop and R&B styles from various eras and pulling samples from different decades. Next to Mariah Carey ("Like Mariah;" why don't people sample her stuff more?) and Destiny's Child ("Brave Honest Beautiful;" co-written by Meghan Trainor) are Luniz's hip-hop classic "I Got 5 on It" ("Worth It") Dirty Dancing's "Time of My Life" ("Body Rock") and Debarge's "A Dream," famously used by Tupac and Blackstreet ("We Know").

As each voice is resilient and compliments the others extremely well (you can see why they were put together), the signature of congregate singing and the group's namesake-harmonies-are scarce. With performers like 5H, you look forward to moments and breakdowns with beautiful, strong, knock-down harmonies, but it hardly happens. On a semi-related note, Cabello is 1 of the more popular members and is known for her range and distinctive voice, but her squeaky tone could wear on some ears.

While listening to "Reflection," I kept wanting to stop and turn on Carey and Danity Kane. I wasn't sure if that was just a symptom of triggered memories, or the album falling short of hitting the spot. As the days passed, however, I found myself humming the songs and returning to the album, not for the sake of writing this review, but listening for leisure. With better songwriting, Fifth Harmony could end the girl-groups-who-blaze drought.

Rock & Rant-When I need to quickly rant about music.

I’m annoyed, confused and concerned. In case you hadn’t heard, actress Angela Bassett is directing a Whitney Houston biopic for Lifetime centralized on Houston’s marriage to Bobby Brown (I guess she wasn’t more than Bobby’s wife, but ok). I find this totally exploitive and violating. Bassett is supposed to have been a friend of Houston’s, and what does she do just 27 months after Houston’s tragic, sudden death? Make a movie bringing further attention to the most intrusively publicized area of Whitney’s personal life. Good job. How nice of you. For a moment I thought, “Well, maybe Angela wants to show the side of Whitney and Bobby she knew to counter the general negative perception,” but there’s honestly no need for that because Whitney very candidly gave the good, bad and ugly details in her last Oprah interview in 2009. Bassett said in a statement: “I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story.” Why? The story already came from the horse’s mouth. The fat lady has already sung, and it’s not like Brown is involved with the project to tell his side. “I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world,” Bassett continued. I bet you are, Angie. What better way to make a splashy directorial debut (I could be wrong in my questioning, but we’ll see)? Who cares what this will unearth for Houston and Brown’s families, especially their young daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I’m sure the families would expect an outsider to do such a sensationalist thing, but a “friend?” “I told 'em it's no friends in the game, you ain't learned that yet?”- (Nicki Minaj, “Pills N’ Potions”)

Speaking of Ms. Minaj, entertainment blogs went ablaze when she released the cover art for her new single “Anaconda” (inset), in which she dons a string-thong and her entire buttocks is exposed. Minaj noted the fickle standards of when photos like hers are deemed “unacceptable,” posting pictures of Sports Illustrated covers that haven’t been condemned on her Instagram to address critics. That in itself is a valid discussion, but my primary concern with the artwork is that it feeds some of the very things that frustrate Minaj about being a woman in a male-dominated genre. In the world of rap, women are often reduced to be nothing more than sexual outlets. On multiple occasions, Minaj has expressed that it’s been an uphill battle to receive respect and be treated as an equal. The obvious focal point of the “Anaconda” cover is her butt—not her face, not the music; her butt is the star of the show. With an image similar to that of a hip-hop mixtape or party flyer featuring the “video girl” archetype, Minaj is objectifying herself and playing into the sexualized role they would prefer her to be in. I don’t know what the lesser of the two evils is: the “Anaconda” photo or her twerking and grinding in a video for a song called “Ass.” There might be a method to this particular madness of Nicki’s, but I’m thinking it was just an agent to continue the hype for her upcoming album, The Pink Print. I believe that Nicki’s direction, musically and branding-wise, is still in development and a work in progress. Until it’s settled, we’re going to continue to see confounding and illogical moves. From every angle, I don’t get it. Minaj seems bothered by the reaction, but I’m sure a reaction was the primary motivation for the photo being chosen. She gets aggravated when people ask her about her bum, but her bum is all out. *Throws hands in confusion*