Music Review: Fifth Harmony "Miss Movin' On"

Fifth Harmony

Miss Movin’ On

Album: N/A

Year: 2013

         Camilla Cabello has gotten over her ex-boyfriend in the inert  “Miss Movin’ On.”

         A resolute guitar opens the single, setting a halted tone. Cabello stands in the mirror, checking to see if her new bright purple plaid shirt hangs right at her mid-riff. She picks at her light wash jeans and double-checks to see to if her milk from her cereal left a stain. Her ex-boyfriend will be holding hands and sharing his locker with his new girlfriend. However, everyone’s jaws will drop once they see her trendy look. She will turn her head away if he’s near her. She puts her makeup in her purse, tucking it by some extra tissues her mom gave her just in case. She’ll be okay, though. (“I'm breakin' down/Gonna start from scratch/Shake it off like an etch-a-sketch/My lips are saying goodbye/My eyes are finally dry.”)

      Lauren Jauregui takes the next part. She stayed at home for three weeks straight, crying for the most of the day. She downloaded an MP3 of Gloria Gaynor’s   “I Will Survive” and played it all day. She was even thinking of transferring schools. After a heart-to-heart with her mother, though, she’s feels better.  (“I'm not the way that I used to be/I took the record off repeat/It killed me but I survived/And now I'm coming alive.”)

        In the pre-chorus, Cabello will no longer assume every guy was raised to open doors and be considerate. She won’t let guys call the shots anymore. Jauregui adds that breakup has made her grow up and realize she deserves better. (“I'll never be that girl again
/No oh oh/ I'll never be that girl again/No oh oh/My innocence is wearin' thin/But my heart is growing strong/So call me, call me, call me.”)

         They all join in for the chorus. Around school, she’s going to become known as a ballbuster. People, especially guys, will think twice about messing with her. She’s going to stand up for herself from now on. (“Miss movin' on/Oh oh oh/Miss movin' on/Oh oh oh/I broke the glass that's surrounding me (surrounding me)/I ain't the way you remember me (remember me)/I was such a good girl/So fragile but no more.”)

           Dinah Hansen has the second verse. Her mother told her it’s ok to talk back. Being called a bitch isn’t going to be the end of the world. The fear of being called to the principal’s office for telling off someone and getting into even more trouble at home was enough to keep her quiet. However, her mom promised to vouch for her. Finally, she has the freedom to be herself. (“I jumped the fence to the other side (the other side)/My whole world was electrified (electrified)/Now I'm no longer afraid/It's Independence Day (Independence Day.”)

         Cabello and Jaruegui sing the pre-chorus again.

          The chorus is sung again.

         In the bridge, she’s grateful for the talk with her mom. Like her mom said, if someone doesn’t accept for who she is, it’s ok to walk away. She learned she can be a strong person. (“Everything is changing and I never wanna go back to the way it was/I'm finding who I am and who I am from here and now is gonna be enough/Is gonna be enough.”)

          The pre-chorus is sung again.

         They all sing “Miss movin’ on” four times.

          Cabello says “I’m movin’ on” to end the single.

 
      
         Fifth Harmony’s belching, lethargic vocals are queasy, and the intentional cracks in their voices during verses emphasize it. Jaregui and Hansen have heft to the voices but are held back by the production. Cabello, although young in her delivery, has promise but not the experience yet to  carry a single.

 The  plain “Miss Movin’ On” is a deluge of one of many acts from the X-Factor (both USA and UK) that gets weaker with each prospect.