Camila Cabello is looking back with grace on her time in Fifth Harmony, the girl group that skyrocketed her to fame. In a candid cover interview with Nylon, the singer opened up about her experience with the group, her personal struggles, and the lessons she’s learned since leaving in 2016.
Cabello, 27, who first rose to stardom as a member of Fifth Harmony in 2012, spoke about the pressures of being in the public eye at a young age, admitting that she wasn’t always sure if she was handling it well. Reflecting on her teenage years in the group, which also included Normani, Dinah Jane, Ally Brooke, and Lauren Jauregui, she said she sometimes felt as if she was “struggling more than a normal teenager should” while navigating fame.
“It’s hard to say what’s normal, whether you’re famous or not,” Cabello said. “My barometer wasn’t functional. It was more than a person should bear in that situation.”
The singer emphasized the importance of conflict resolution, especially when working in a group setting, an issue that often comes with the pressures of fame. She said that at the age of 16, when she was thrust into the spotlight, she lacked the necessary skills to handle interpersonal conflicts within the group, something she now recognizes as crucial for any successful team.
“I think conflict resolution is really important, especially when it comes to a group,” she said. “Those are skills you don’t have when you’re 16 years old.”
Cabello explained that dealing with personal issues like jealousy and exclusion was part of the experience, and learning to navigate them without harming others or herself was a valuable life lesson. “How do you deal with being left out? How do you deal with jealousy? How do you deal with these things without hurting yourself or other people?” she reflected.
Fifth Harmony, formed on The X Factor in 2012, went on to become one of the most successful girl groups of the decade, producing hits like “Worth It” (2015) and “Work From Home” (2016). Their albums Reflection (2015) and 7/27 (2016) cemented their place in pop music history. However, Cabello’s decision to leave the group in December 2016 marked a turning point for both her and Fifth Harmony.
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On December 19, 2016, the group confirmed Cabello’s departure in a statement shared on social media, saying, “After four and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well.” The remaining members of Fifth Harmony, Ally, Normani, Dinah, and Lauren, chose to move forward as a quartet, releasing a self-titled album in 2017. They expressed excitement for their future and for the solo endeavors of each member.
Cabello also issued her own statement, expressing sadness over the departure but wishing her former bandmates nothing but success. “As sad as it is to see this chapter ending this way, I will continue to root them all on as individuals and as a group,” she wrote at the time. “I wish nothing but the best for them, all the success in the world and true happiness.”
Since leaving Fifth Harmony, Cabello has become a successful solo artist. She has released four solo albums: Camila (2018), Romance (2019), Familia (2022), and C,XOXO (2024), with the latter being a tribute to her Miami hometown. Her solo career has seen hits like “Havana” and “Señorita,” establishing her as one of the biggest pop stars of the 2010s and beyond.
In the Nylon interview, Cabello also reflected on reconnecting with Normani, 28, after a period of distance. The two were spotted together at Paris Fashion Week in September, and Cabello expressed warmth at the reunion. “The past couple of times I’ve seen her, I say something and she laughs really hard,” Cabello recalled. “It doesn’t feel like we’re strangers. We’re getting back to the times when we were really close.”
Cabello’s reflections on her time in Fifth Harmony and her personal growth over the past decade highlight her journey from a teenager in a girl group to a solo artist with a blossoming career. As she continues to evolve, the singer is taking lessons from her past—both the challenges and the triumphs—to inform her future, including the release of her new album C,XOXO.
While she looks back on her time in Fifth Harmony with gratitude, Cabello’s focus is now on the present and the future, and she seems eager to continue her career in music, acting, and beyond. The Nylon interview gives a window into the artist’s growth and the importance she places on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and the ability to navigate complex relationships—lessons she learned as a member of one of the most successful girl groups of the 2010s.
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