Simon Cowell’s The X Factor has produced some good artists down the years, from solo acts to boy and girl groups. One of the more popular bands around is Fifth Harmony, an American all girl group, with its British counterpart being Little Mix, both groups spinning some notable songs and some which we might not want to really talk about. Leaving the X Factor reality show aside we also have other girl groups that have come and gone. The Pussycat Dolls, The Spice Girls, Girls Aloud and Destinys Child. Five young women Dinah Jane Hansen, Ally Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui, set a task for themselves on their new album to bring out sugary pop - R & B songs, dance pieces and a bit of mushy tunes to please a young generation to groove with them. The girls have that extra oomph and a personality to take them far.

On their new album, Fifth Harmony speak on matters close to the heart and what else boy – girl relationships of the adult kind. On the opening track the very catchy That’s my Girl they voice together singing “Destiny said you got to get up and get it / Get mad independent, don’t you ever forget it,” to some funky bass and electronic drum roll. On roll we also have the Rihanna chorus coming in to help out the girls when they scream out “Work, work, work, and work “in their track Work from Home. If it worked for RiRi, its working for these five damsels.

Trying out some EDM might work in their favor when you listen to The Life. You get a look into the girls private lives when they open up in Write on Me, co produced by Kygo with its trippy house sound is pretty smart. They chant “Everything is grey until you draw me / touching on my body like you know me,” It appears that all the five feel the same way, and show off their physical attributes in a few images in the CD inlay. I Lied is like an answer to Michael Bolton’s Said I Loved you but I Lied. Listen to it and you will know. Expect a bit of reggae in All in My Head (Flex) that features Fetty Rap, a Beyonce call and answer piece.

The other big one here is Not That Kinda Girl, a bouncy, retro electro kind of piece that brings on R & B diva Missy Elliot to the fore, shooting off her talent in front of the girls. It reminds you of pop singer Prince and the way he crafted his songs. Squeeze, a mid tempo balladic piece is a top favorite here, its finger snapping is bang on, The catchy chorus with an equally catchy beat will make you sing along. “Put your arms around me baby, and squeeze, only you know how to save me, put your arms around me baby, and squeeze”, is amusing and must not be taken in the wrong sense. We have no idea what the girls actually meant.

Bonus tracks are supposed to add that extra zing to the album. While we have two pieces here, Dope, a spacey and bit electro styled can be given a miss, having a bit of crude lyrics that go “I don’t know what else to say, but you’re pretty fucking dope.”No Way however ends the album and is impressive, it speaks of the girls and how they grapple with a complicated relationship despite many talking about them. “We got an audience calling us crazy / We ignore those opinions of hate,” the girls croon positively.

The five stick to their name in totality and sing in like one voice, at times each contributing their own vocals or singing in harmony. Their powerhouse vocals are unbeatable. Only thing is that this album will take time to grow on you. But it’s a sweet 40 minutes to spend with one of the top girl bands around. Includes lyrics to all songs.

Rating: ****

-Reviewed by Verus Ferreira