‘The X Factor’ Judges Crown Fifth Harmony As The Next Major Girl Group: Watch

Fifth Harmony have kicked off their career on a high note after their 2012 showing on The X Factor, and the judges certainly seem to agree: Kelly Rowland, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and Paulina Rubio sat down for the first interview for the show’s third season in Charleston, S.C., and since the panel is all about girl power, it was only natural that the hotly tipped girl group would creep into the conversation.

Cowell said, “I loved Tate and I think he was a great winner, but I have a hunch that the real winners from last season are Fifth Harmony.” He continued, “In particular, there hasn’t been a successful girl band for a long time and I’m feeling something, I’m sensing something from this group.”

Rowland (a former member of one of the biggest girl groups of all time, so she has some clout here) also said she sees big things for Fifth Harmony: “It’s time for a new girl group! I wish girl groups to [exceed] and [go] beyond what Destiny’s Child or TLC or The Supremes could ever do. You want each generation to get better and better, so I hope and wish them much more success.”

Watch the full video up top.