The ladies of Fifth Harmony are winners, after all! Will you buy their debut album?

Proving once again that it doesn’t really matter who wins a reality competition show, The X Factor‘s third-place finalist Fifth Harmony has signed a joint recording contract with Simon Cowell‘s Syco Music and L.A. Reid‘s Epic Records.

“I knew from the girls’ first performance at the judges’ homes that we’d done the right thing,” Simon tells People magazine. “The chemistry between the girls both on stage and off is fantastic, and they are incredibly talented.”

Simon also spoke highly of Fifth Harmony to HollywoodLife.com during The X Factor this season, saying, “There is such a market now for this girl band, I believe. I think where there’s boy bands, there’ll be girl bands. We may have someone who can fit that gap.”

And it looks like we finally do!

Is Fifth Harmony The New One Direction?

Whether intentionally or not, Fifth Harmony shares quite a few similarities with One Direction. Allow me to break it down for you:

1. Both groups came in third place on their respective seasons of The X Factor. (The boys of 1D were created and competed on the original UK version back in 2010.)

2. Both groups were nurtured and promoted by Simon.

3. Both groups have five members. (OK, now I’m just reaching.)

HollywoodLifers, are you glad Fifth Harmony got a record deal? Can you imagine them taking the world by storm, One Direction-style? Drop us a comment with your thoughts on Simon’s latest pet project.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

People

More Fifth Harmony on HollywoodLife.com:

1. Simon Cowell Hints At Plans To Sign Fifth Harmony
2. Demi Lovato: I Want To Record With Fifth Harmony
3. Fifth Harmony Should Win ‘The X Factor’ — But They Won’t