The 5 talk about coming together as one for The X Factor

Kazem Chamas describes the first days with the band, The 5, as strange. Courtesy MBC Group

Speaking from Beirut during a gruelling schedule of rehearsals at the MBC studios, Mohamed “BMD” Bouhezza recalls the shock of being asked to be part of a boy band with four other young men he knew nothing about. “As a rapper, I was so scared,” says BMD. “I was worried I might get stuck in a style of singing that wasn’t mine. But we reached an agreement and I was told I can write whatever I want to rap about, and I’ve been loving it. Honestly, it’s such a big opportunity that happens once in your life, just like what happened with One Direction. Plus, these guys I’m with, they’re good guys. I knew this would get big.”

Kazem Chamas describes those first days of the band as “strange”.

“I had no idea if this would work or if I would want to leave. When we first started seeing how people react to us and how happy they are, we wanted it to work so much. God wrote this for us, this is meant to be, especially now – after we’ve gotten to know each other.”

Egyptian Ahmed Hassan, who has been “studying music his entire life”, says singing has always been his dream. “It was scary knowing we each had a different dream, but we’ve been able to unite this dream and decide on what it is. And what we are right now is a group; we really want people to see us as a group rather than as individual talents.”