Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui Felt ‘Disconnected’ From Herself Prior To 5H Hiatus

While Harmonizers may have been shocked when Fifth Harmony decided to take a hiatus, Lauren Jauregui revealed it was only a matter of time before the women needed to take some time to apart to figure out their individual identities.

On March 19, the successful female group announced they would be going on an indefinite hiatus, a little more than a year after former member Camila Cabello abruptly exited 5H to pursue a solo career.

During an interview with Playboy, Jauregui, 21, who was 16 years old when Fifth Harmony was formed on “The X-Factor,” explained she and remaining members Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen and Ally Brooke Hernandez never got the opportunity to figure out who they really are.

“When you’re really disconnected from who you are and you’re ashamed of it, you can write and tell a story, but you can never really tell your story,” the “Down” singer said referring to the image she was expected to portray in the group.

“That’s why you see so many people dying inside. Imagine the shame and insecurity,” she added.

Jauregui admitted the group was under an immense amount of pressure to be role models to young girls while they were still in the midst of their teenage years. “We tried our best to be ourselves, [but] we were also adolescents, so you have to think about who you were at that age and being thrown in front of cameras,” she said.

Although the “Strangers” singer doesn’t have as many responsibilities with the hiatus and will finally have the time she needs to create her own music, the star hasn’t made any plans to record a solo album. “Right now, I’m just exploring myself and getting in touch with myself creatively,” the “All Night” singer told the publication.

“To be real, I don’t want to give myself boundaries,” she added.

Fifth Harmony first revealed their hiatus on Twitter by posting a typed statement informing fans of their plans. “After six years going hard, non-stop, we also realized that in order to stay authentic to ourselves and to you, we do need to take some time, for now, to go on a hiatus from Fifth Harmony in order to pursue solo endeavors,” the statement read.

Sources told E! News the members of the group are in a “good place” and despite the break, there is no tension — unlike their split with Cabello.