Encore Index · Shows · October 15, 2026

Camila Cabello finished third on The X Factor. Her singles out-certify Kelly Clarkson’s.

Underdogs · 5 min read

Camila Cabello has 35 million certified single units to Kelly Clarkson’s 19 million. Her Havana reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Simon Cowell confirmed that Fifth Harmony had signed a record deal. Camila Cabello was one of the singers in the group, which had finished third on The X Factor US.

The US series ran for 3 seasons, from 2011 to 2013. Fifth Harmony has 8 Hot 100 entries as a main artist. Camila Cabello has 19 separately credited entries, including collaborations.

The five singers first entered as solo contestants. They were eliminated and brought together into a new group that reached the season-two final, finishing behind Tate Stevens and Carly Rose Sonenclar.

Epic announced the group’s debut EP, Better Together, for October 2013.

Fifth Harmony was the opening act for Cher Lloyd on her I Wish Tour at that time. The group was preparing acoustic and Spanish versions of Better Together for later that autumn, with Me & My Girls as an iTunes preorder bonus.

We put out Havana and OMG at the same time and we let the fans speak.
Jenifer Mallory, Sony Music Entertainment, IFPI report, 2018

Fifth Harmony released 3 studio albums

Fifth Harmony has 3 studio albums released after the show. The records include Reflection (January 30, 2015), 7/27 (May 27, 2016) and Fifth Harmony (August 25, 2017). The releases span 2015 to 2017.

The group’s Hot 100 entries are Miss Movin' On, Boss, Sledgehammer, Worth It, All in My Head (Flex), That's My Girl, Work from Home and Down. Those records span 2013 to 2017.

Sony announced in July 2017 that Ally, Dinah, Lauren and Normani had co-written most of Fifth Harmony’s third album.

Before the album announcement, the group performed their single Down, featuring Gucci Mane, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Announced collaborators on the album included Skrillex, Poo Bear and Ester Dean.

The X Factor season 2

Cabello recorded a separate catalogue

Camila Cabello has 4 studio albums released after the show. The records include Camila (January 12, 2018), Romance (December 6, 2019), Familia (April 8, 2022) and C,XOXO (June 28, 2024). The releases span 2018 to 2024.

Cabello’s earliest separately credited Hot 100 records include I Know What You Did Last Summer (with Shawn Mendes) (November 18, 2015), Bad Things (October 14, 2016), Crying in the Club (May 19, 2017) and Havana (August 3, 2017). These recordings carry her own main-artist credit. The group’s songs remain credited to Fifth Harmony.

Her singles carry 35 million certified units, the most of any X Factor finalist, more than Kelly Clarkson’s 19 million.

Cabello’s campaign with Epic used television, radio and brand partnerships. Sony executive Jenifer Mallory described releasing Havana and OMG together and allowing the audience response to guide the next step.

The campaign began in May 2017 with Crying in the Club and I Have Questions. A later Havana remix included Spanish lyrics from Daddy Yankee, and the team brought Cabello’s album release forward while Havana remained high in the charts.

Fifth Harmony and Cabello’s separately credited songs

Hot 100 songs as a main artist · count

Published chart records for the group and Cabello.

Featured-only credits are excluded. Cabello includes collaborations during her group years.

Amaro signed with Epic after her win

Melanie Amaro won the first US season in 2011. The advertised prize was a $5 million recording contract with Syco and Sony Music, and Epic announced her signing in January 2012.

In March 2013, her debut remained delayed.

The X Factor season 1

Stevens released an album through Syco and RCA

Tate Stevens won season two in December 2012 with another reported $5 million recording contract. His self-titled studio album came out in April 2013.

The X Factor season 2

Alex & Sierra released an album through Columbia

Alex & Sierra won the third season in December 2013 with a reported $1 million contract with Sony Music. Their album It’s About Us followed in October 2014.

Alex & Sierra have 1 studio album released after the show. The album is It's About Us (October 7, 2014).

The X Factor season 3

Gutt joined Stone Temple Pilots

Jeff Gutt’s next major band role arrived years after his runner-up finish in the third season. In November 2017, Stone Temple Pilots introduced him as their new singer at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the single Meadow was announced.

Their work together, covering new songs and recording, dated to September 2016.

Gutt auditioned at Studio 606 in Los Angeles on the last day of the band’s auditions. Robert DeLeo heard about him after he played a Detroit show with Hollywood Vampires, and this led to the invitation. DeLeo praised Gutt’s songwriting and his range on Piece of Pie and Interstate Love Song.

Jeff Gutt has 2 studio albums released after the show, including Stone Temple Pilots credits. The records include Stone Temple Pilots (March 16, 2018) and Perdida (February 7, 2020). The releases span 2018 to 2020.

Krajcik self-released his next album

Josh Krajcik was the first season’s runner-up. His 2013 Phonogenic/Sony record was Blindly, Lonely, Lovely, and he self-released Oblivion in 2017.

Blindly, Lonely, Lovely was partly recorded at Abbey Road, and Krajcik was a co-writer of Avicii’s Addicted to You. Before The X Factor, he played guitar while he opened for Brandi Carlile, The Fray and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Josh Krajcik has 3 studio albums released after the show. The records include Blindly, Lonely, Lovely (April 2, 2013), Oblivion (May 18, 2017) and EPIPHANIAC (August 30, 2024). The releases span 2013 to 2024.

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Photo credits (3 photos)

Clay Aiken: Judy Butler (mystuff1) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source.
Adam Lambert: Christopher O'Quin, U.S. Marine Corps · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
Jennifer Hudson singing at the Concert for Valor: DoD News · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.