on january 17, 2013, "the x factor" creator simon cowell signed them to his record label, syco music, along with epic records. the group performed covers of famous songs on youtube, before releasing their extended play, "better together" on october 22, 2013. they performed on stadium tours for cher lloyd and demi lovato, as well as performing at smaller concerts. they also began recording songs for their first studio album in 2014, which would eventually be known as "reflection".