Well, we have reached the end of the month of May 2020. There are major events marking the halfway point of this year with a lot of uncertainty ahead. Music is like everything else as we hope for normality, however we don’t really know what normal is anymore. For now, at least at Weekly Music Commentary we know today’s post marks the end of our special Women In Music month. We are featuring former Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke. Actually, she is the third member of the group we have featured as a solo artist. It has been interesting to watch as each young woman forges ahead with her own brand of music. “I get to finally be who I am and fulfill that part of me that was so lost for a while,” said Ally with blunt honesty. What does that actually mean? Is her music as a solo artist much different from Fifth Harmony music? In order to understand if it is, as always it would be good to look at her life and musical start.
Allyson Brooke Hernandez was born on July 7, 1993 in San Antonio, Texas, where she was raised by parents Jerry Hernandez and Patricia Castillo. She is of Mexican descent. Brooke did not grow up speaking Spanish, stating that her parents made the decision to prevent her from being discriminated against in school. Brooke said she currently has a Spanish tutor. Ally truly comes from a very supportive family that helped her as much as possible.
“I don’t even know how to put into words how thankful I am for them. They gave me that confidence and they sacrificed so much for me, and they supported me along the way even when it was so hard, even when I was younger and going through things when I didn’t believe in myself. And I felt like I wasn’t good enough. They were right there to support me, and encourage me, and say, ‘I believe in you.’ That is something that’s priceless and there’s no words to say how thankful I am to have them in my life.” Brooke attended Cornerstone Christian Elementary School in San Antonio, and completed her high school education through home-schooling.
“We’d have to make do with what we had, and they were still there to drive me to the studio, and drive me to Marshalls to get clothes to dress me up because my mom has always been into fashion and she would help me with the clothes. We may not have had much, but she was there and my parents would find a way.” As a parent I can relate to the sacrifices we make for our children. However, you always wonder if you could have done things differently, or better. The best thing is to hear your children affirm your efforts and voice appreciation. Ally is grateful for what her parents provided in her childhood, and I’m sure her parents love hearing those words of gratitude.
As Ally Brooke turned 18, her life would change because of an audition for The X Factor reality television talent show. Brooke auditioned in Austin, Texas, not far from her hometown in San Antonio, singing “On My Knees” from contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer Jaci Velasquez. For her bootcamp round she sang against Jullia Bullock singing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. She was eliminated during the bootcamp round of competition, but was brought back along with Dinah Jane, Normani, Lauren Jauregui, and Camila Cabello to form the group now known as Fifth Harmony. The group advanced to the live shows and managed to finish in third place.
During the bootcamp round of the competition, many tend to forget that Ally Brooke and the four other young women who eventually came together to form Fifth Harmony were seeking solo careers. The focus changed as the five were brought back and formed the group. However, it seemed that even with the success of Fifth Harmony, the solo dream of each member was still on the horizon.
Aside from her work with Fifth Harmony, Brooke was also featured on American DJ-duo Lost Kings song “Look at Us Now” along with American rapper ASAP Ferg. The song was released on June 9, 2017. In July 2017, she was set to perform a solo show in São Paulo, but the show was canceled. Brooke joined Plácido Domingo to sing two songs on January 24, 2018 at the Convention Center’s Lila Cockrell Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. Brooke collaborated with German DJ Topic for the song “Perfect”, released on January 26, 2018 along with its music video. She performed the song during an episode of Wild ‘n Out in March 2018.
On March 12, 2018, Brooke signed with Maverick Entertainment as a solo artist. The official announcement regarding the status of Fifth Harmony came on March 19, 2018. The group announced an indefinite hiatus to focus on solo projects.
The next month Ally Brooke confirmed that she was indeed working on her solo album with producers 1500 or nothin’. In the fall of 2018 she signed a record deal with Latium Entertainment and Atlantic Records. After several singles and noteworthy collaborations, we finally got word that an album was on the way this year 2020. Of course, with COVID-19 and other problems the album could face a delay. Nevertheless, a new Ally Brooke album is soon to be released.
It appears that Ally Brooke will deliver an eclectic brand of songs with some Latin influence as well as a little hip hop. Growing up, Brooke listened to artists such as Selena, Gloria Estefan, and Jennifer Lopez. She has also cited Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars as influences. That kind of helps us understand where Ally wants to be musically, which would not be bad at all.
Ally Brooke is ready to give us her style of music, and we will understand her individually. While she does not discount her time in Fifth Harmony, there were highs and lows. “I let the opinions overtake me and I felt like I needed to step back and really be mindful of who I was and what I did,” she openly states. “Even songwriting, it was hard to really do that in a group because there are so many opinions and for a little bit, you think, ‘I’m not good enough.'”
Now Ally Brooke is ready to be that solo artist that she looked to be a few years ago. “It’s the rebirth of Ally Brooke,” she proudly says. “Of who I am!” From what I’ve heard so far, we will have another successful spin-off from Fifth Harmony.