Camila Cabello Reflects on Her Time in Fifth Harmony and Stresses Importance of 'Conflict Resolution' Skills

"Those are skills you don’t have when you’re 16," said Cabello of her rise to fame with Normani, Dinah Jane, Ally Brooke and Lauren Jauregui in Fifth Harmony

Camila Cabello is reflecting on her time in Fifth Harmony

In a new cover story interview, the "I Luv It" singer opened up to Nylon about her time in the girl group with Normani, Dinah Jane, Ally Brooke and Lauren Jauregui from its formation in 2012 through her December 2016 exit.

Cabello said she looks back on the group with a sense of grace, admitting she wasn't sure if she was "struggling more than a normal teenager should" in the spotlight.

"It’s hard to say what’s normal, whether you’re famous or not," she said. "My barometer wasn’t functional. It was more than a person should bear [in that situation]."

The 27-year-old star also spoke about the importance of finding solutions peacefully among a group. "I think conflict resolution is really important, especially when it comes to a group," she continued. "Those are skills you don’t have when you’re 16 years old."

Related: Camila Cabello Says She’s Taking 'Internet Breaks' and 'Living' at the Moment: 'A Writer Must Have Stories'

"How do you deal with being left out? How do you deal with jealousy?" she continued. "How do you deal with these things without hurting yourself or other people?"

Fifth Harmony was formed during the second season of the U.S. version of The X Factor with the help of Simon Cowell. During their time as a five-member group, they released hit songs such as 2015's "Worth It" and 2016's "Work From Home" as well as the albums Reflection and 7/27.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

On Dec. 19, 2016, the band released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) about Cabello leaving the group. “After 4 and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well," they wrote at the time.

At the time, the remaining members revealed they'd be "moving forward" as a quartet, and they released a self-titled album in 2017: "We are four strong, committed women who will continue with Fifth Harmony as well as our solo endeavors. We are excited for our future, and we can’t wait for what the new year brings."

Related: Camila Cabello Debuts New Single 'Godspeed' Live at the 2024 MTV VMAs

Cabello later wrote in her own statement, "As sad as it is to see this chapter ending this way, I will continue to root them all on as individuals and as a group, I wish nothing but the best for them, all the success in the world and true happiness."

Since exiting Fifth Harmony, she's released four solo albums: 2018's Camila, 2019's Romance, 2022's Familia and 2024's C,XOXO — a tribute to her Miami hometown.

Elsewhere in the Nylon interview, Cabello mentioned seeing Normani, 28, at Paris Fashion Week in September.

"The past couple of times I’ve seen her, I say something and she laughs really hard," she said. "It doesn’t feel like we’re strangers. We’re getting back to the times when we really close."