Fifth Harmony’s first Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 chart, “Sledgehammer” becomes more impactful with each repeated listen. The springy account of lovesickness, co-written by Meghan Trainor, fires on all cylinders, with vocal hooks blossoming from every corner of the song and a bridge that brilliantly breaks down in tempo to capture the singers’ collective sense of yearning. Dre beats and Kanye-versus-Ray J don’t stand the test of time, the 5H brand of confidence - buoyed by a boisterous trumpet swing - surely will.įifth Harmony worked for years toward a spotless pop single, and with “Sledgehammer,” the ladies found it. The album’s first single is packed with pop-culture references and brimming with female assertiveness even if nods to the nae nae, Dr. Despite the many spinning plates, “Top Down” never becomes incoherent and makes one want to visit Electric City on multiple occasions. “Top Down” – An elastic synth riff serves as the foundation for the giddy pile-up of “Top Down,” which includes tottering beats, a “Problem”-esque horn riff in the hook, PG-rated rhymes and united crooning on the chorus behind looped yelps worthy of DJ Mustard. Which songs on Reflection are the most worthy of replays? Check out our track-by-track take on Fifth Harmony’s debut.ġ. How Fifth Harmony is Taking on Girl-Group Norms, Patriarchy and Rude Exes Reflection represents a promising first step for a girl group that has long been awaiting stardom and has quickly established itself as a wrecking crew of positive role models. Even when a song doesn’t come together, Fifth Harmony’s identity never falls apart. Working with a long list of songwriters and producers, Fifth Harmony show that they are capable of slick synth-pop, grungy hip-hop and fluttering R&B, the latter clearly indebted to the girl groups of the ’90s. On Reflection, Fifth Harmony is giving teen girls a soundtrack to impenetrable control, refracted through the image of five females who forever have each other’s backs.īest of all: Most of the songs work. There are male collaborators like Kid Ink and Tyga, but they are left to operate in the background, and even on languishing anthems like “Sledgehammer,” the pining for romance is never coupled with insecurity or weakness. Back-to-back songs on Reflection mention Instagram filters, and what Ally, Camila, Dinah, Lauren and Normani lack in pop experience, they make up for in smartly placed adulation of icons like Mariah Carey (“Like Mariah”) and Beyonce (the title track).Įxclusive Video: Watch Fifth Harmony Share Little-Known Secrets About Each Otherīut Fifth Harmony is also taking things one step further: the back half of Reflection is basically a misandrist constitution, with the 5H ladies brushing off lazy dudes on “Suga Mama,” game-players on “We Know” and the flight-before-fight bros on “Going Nowhere.” The run of songs is (for this male listener) spectacular to digest, since Fifth Harmony’s laser focus never wavers. Fifth Harmony echoes those sentiments, while also showcasing them from a younger perspective. Pop music is full of female artists offering healthy outlooks on issues like body image, sexuality, friendship and self-worth Rihanna has no time for male shenanigans, Katy Perry wants her fans to know that they are all fireworks, and Nicki Minaj spends more time objectifying men than getting fazed by them.
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