It's been about a year and a half since The 5 shot to fame on MBC's X Factor Arabia.
Egyptian Ahmed Hassan, Moroccan Adel Echibi, Lebanese Kazem Chamas and the Algerian duo Said Karmouz and BMD (Mohamed Bouhezza) didn't know each other before the start of the season, but as fate would have it, X Factor transformed them into a boy band that any fan girl would go crazy for.
And we're still crushing hard ...
Although the boys didn't win the competition, they definitely stole our hearts and have been making us fall deeper in love ever since. Here are 5 times The 5 totally melted our hearts.
1. It was love at first X Factor
As soon as these boys let their vocals blend on the X Factor stage, our hearts melted and we knew something incredible had just been born.
With their flashy smiles, sizable biceps and perfectly arranged hair accompanying their stellar singing, The 5 immediately garnered a diehard fan base on social media.
From memes to the Twitterverse, the boys became the talk of the Arab inter-webs over night.
2. When they stayed humble during the competition
When interviewed by StepFeed during the competition, they humbly pointed to Saudi competitor Hamza Hawsawi as a strong contender to win.
After Hawsawi's victory was announced in the finale, The 5 joined together to carry him on their shoulders as they cheered.
"I wish him all the best because he deserves it," Echibi told StepFeed following the finale.
"He's really talented and he's very gifted. I was so proud to be in competition with him."
3. When they made time to give fans some love
After signing a recording deal with Sony Music Middle East in July of last year, The 5 jetted off to Dubai to record new music together.
Despite their busy recording schedule, they made time to snap some photos with their fans, lovingly dubbed "5-ers." Despite their overnight fame, they remained friendly and relaxed guys.
Sigh. Could they be any more perfect?
4. When they went to Sweden and got real
From experiencing snow for the first time, to trying out new musical styles and attempting to ice skate, The 5's video about their time in Sweden gave us an intimate glimpse into their camaraderie and casual group dynamic.
It gave us insight into their lives and who they are as a band, making our hearts melt all over again (despite the sub-polar temperatures).
5. When they released their quirky music video for "La Bezzaf"
From the quirky animation to their soulful vocals and BMD's rapping, this video totally reminded us of why we fell in love with these boys when they were on X Factor Arabia.
Really guys, we have to say "la bezzaf" right back at you!