H.E.R.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the album, see H.E.R. (album). For other uses, see HER.

H.E.R.
H.E.R. in 2019
H.E.R. in 2019
Background information
Birth nameGabriella Sarmiento Wilson
Born (1997-06-27) June 27, 1997 (age 24)
Vallejo, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2007–present
Labels
  • RCA
  • MBK
Associated acts
Websiteher-official.com

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her", an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an American singer and songwriter. After initial music appearances and singles under her real name, Wilson re-emerged in 2016 as H.E.R., releasing her debut EP H.E.R. Volume 1 under RCA, followed by four subsequent EPs. Her first compilation album H.E.R. (2017), consisting of tracks from her first two EPs plus six additional songs, was nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album.

Her second compilation album, I Used to Know Her, was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "Hard Place". In 2021, she was awarded the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "I Can't Breathe", and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Fight for You" from the film Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). Her debut full-length album Back of My Mind was released in June 2021.

H.E.R. is featured in an episode of the 10-part animated series We the People on Netflix. Wilson wrote and performed the song "Change" for the "Active Citizenship" episode.[1]

Musical career[]

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson[2][3] was born in Vallejo, California[4] to a Filipina mother and an African American father. Raised in California's San Francisco Bay Area, performing as Gabi Wilson, she performed as a child such as playing an Alicia Keys song on the piano for Today Show at ten years old.[2] She appeared at the famed Apollo Theater in NYC on September 23, 2007, covering Aretha Franklin's "Freeway Of Love".[5][6] She made her acting debut at the age of nine, starring in the Nickelodeon TV film School Gyrls.[7] She also performed on Maury in 2007, Good Morning America, and The View in 2008.[7] At this time, she was managed by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment.[7] She performed at the 2010 BET Awards covering Keys' "Fallin'", sung a tribute to Keys at the ASCAP Awards, and competed on Radio Disney's The Next BIG Thing at age 12, with her song "My Music" featured on Radio Disney.[7]

In 2011, at age 14, Wilson signed a record deal with Sony's RCA Records via J Records, in a deal arranged by her manager Jeff Robinson's MBK Entertainment. Her debut single "Something to Prove" was released under her real name.[7][8]

Re-emerging in late 2016 with a new persona, Wilson released her debut EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1 on September 9, 2016, produced by songwriter David "Swagg R'Celious" Harris. She received support from Usher, Tyrese, Pusha T, and Wyclef Jean; labelmates Alicia Keys and Bryson Tiller helped get the word out through Twitter co-signs, shoutouts, and re-posts.[9][10] In April 2017, Rihanna posted an Instagram clip with H.E.R.'s track "Focus" playing in the background. The clip has been viewed over 5 million times.[11] Additional industry support came from Issa Rae of HBO's Insecure, Taraji P. Henson of Empire, Kylie Jenner, and Kendall Jenner.[citation needed]

NPR listed H.E.R. Vol. 1 as the first selection in its "5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On".[12] Calling the music "Slow-burning R&B that zooms in on emotional highs and lows," Rolling Stone included H.E.R. in its March 2017 "10 Artists You Need To Know" roundup.[13] Forbes named her one of "5 Alternative R&B Artists to Look Out for in 2017", reporting: "In the same vein as The Weeknd's enigmatic introduction to the world, H.E.R.'s image remains a mystery. The irony, though, is that her moniker is an acronym for Having Everything Revealed."[14]

Wilson's follow-up EP, H.E.R. Vol. 2 (2017) also produced by Harris, was released on June 16, 2017, and includes the single "Say It Again". She went on tour with Bryson Tiller for the Set It Off tour, and concluded her first headlining tour, the Lights On Tour, in support of H.E.R. Vol. 2.[15] She released H.E.R. Vol. 2, The B Sides (2017), produced by Harris, on October 20, 2017, and the single "2" on October 13, 2017. The compilation album H.E.R. was released on October 20, 2017, comprising the songs from each of the three EP's in this series. The album won Best R&B Album and received four other nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist.[16]

Wilson announced in September 2018 the I Used to Know H.E.R. Tour in support of her EP series I Used to Know Her: The Prelude and I Used to Know Her: Part 2.[17][18] Her second compilation album I Used to Know Her was released on August 30, 2019.[19] She performed as one of the headliners of the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York on September 28.[20][21] On October 5, she participated in the 2019 edition of the Rock in Rio festival located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among the headliners were Drake, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Pink and Muse.[22]

On September 20, 2020, she sang Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U" for the In Memoriam segment of the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. In February 2021, during the pre-game festivities for Super Bowl LV,[23] she performed "America the Beautiful", singing and playing guitar. She appeared as herself in the movie Yes Day (2021).[24]On June 17, 2021, her single "Damage" topped the US R&B radio chart.[25] The song is from her debut full-length album 'Back of My Mind', which was released on June 18, 2021.

In August 2021, it was announced that Wilson was in final negotiations to make her feature film debut in the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple, playing the role of Squeak.[26][27]

Musical style[]

Consisting mostly of contemporary R&B ballads, H.E.R's songs have been described as "downcast post-breakup material that sounded vulnerable and assured at once".[4]

Addressing the secrecy over her identity, she has said: "The mystery is a metaphor for who I am, or who I was at the time of creating the project... I feel like oftentimes we don't like to be open as people about our emotions or things that we are going through. At the time [of recording], I was very closed off except for when I was writing or when I was in the studio."[28]

She explained further: "I am a voice for women who feel like they're alone in these situations. This project came from emotion, and that's what I want it to be about – not what I look like or who I'm with, but the raw emotion and support for women."[29] To NPR she said, "I feel like this is the era of the anti-star. I really just wanted it to be about the music, and get away from, 'Who is she with?' and 'What is she wearing?'"[30]

Discography[]

Main article: H.E.R. discography
  • Back of My Mind (2021)

Tours[]

Headlining tours[]

  • Lights on Tour (2017)[31]
  • I Used to Know Her Tour (2018)[32]

Supporting[]

  • Bryson Tiller – Set It Off Tour (2017)[33]
  • Chris Brown – Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour (2018)[34]
  • Childish Gambino – This Is America Tour (2019)[35]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2017 Soul Train Music Awards Best New Artist Herself Nominated [36]
2018 BET Awards Best Female R&B Artist Nominated [37]
Best New Artist Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards Best R&B/Soul Female Artist Nominated [38]
Song of the Year "Every Kind of Way" Nominated
Video of the Year "Avenue" Nominated
Album/Mixtape of the Year H.E.R. Won
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award "Focus" Nominated
"Best Part" (with Daniel Caesar) Nominated
Best Collaboration Performance Won
2019 Grammy Awards Album of the Year H.E.R. Nominated [39]
Best New Artist Herself Nominated
Best R&B Performance "Best Part" (with Daniel Caesar) Won
Best R&B Song "Focus" Nominated
Best R&B Album H.E.R. Won
iHeartRadio Music Awards R&B Artist of the Year Herself Nominated [40]
Best New R&B Artist Nominated
Billboard Music Awards Top R&B Artist Nominated [41]
Top R&B Female Artist Nominated
Top R&B Album H.E.R. Nominated
BET Awards Best Female R&B Artist Herself Nominated [42]
Best Collaboration "Could've Been" (with Bryson Tiller) Nominated
BET Her Awards "Hard Place" Won [43]
MTV Video Music Awards Best New Artist Herself Nominated [44]
Push Artist of the Year Nominated
Best R&B "Could've Been" (with Bryson Tiller) Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards Best R&B/Soul Female Artist Herself Won [45]
Album/Mixtape of the Year I Used to Know Her Nominated
2020 Grammy Awards Album of the Year I Used to Know Her Nominated
Record of the Year "Hard Place" Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Best R&B Performance "Could've Been" (with Bryson Tiller) Nominated
Best R&B Song Nominated
iHeartRadio Music Awards R&B Artist of the Year Herself Won [46]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Album I Used to Know Her Nominated [47]
Outstanding Female Artist Herself Nominated
Outstanding Song – Contemporary "Hard Place" Nominated
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album Nominated
BET Awards Album of the Year I Used To Know Her Nominated [48]
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist Herself Nominated
Best Collaboration "Slide" (with YG) Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Best R&B Nominated [49]
Video For Good "I Can't Breathe" Won
MTV Europe Music Awards Video for Good Won [50]
Soul Train Music Awards Song of the Year "Slide" (with YG) Nominated [51]
Video of the Year Nominated
Best Collaboration Nominated
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter of the Year Award Nominated
Video of the Year "Slow Down" (with Skip Marley) Nominated
Best Collaboration Nominated
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter of the Year Award "I Can't Breathe" Won
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist Herself Won
2021 Grammy Awards Song of the Year "I Can't Breathe" Won [52]
Best R&B Song "Slow Down" (with Skip Marley) Nominated
"Better Than I Imagine" (with Robert Glasper and Meshell Ndegeocello) Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Song in a Feature Film "Fight for You" Nominated [53]
Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song Nominated [54]
Critics Choice Awards Best Song Nominated [55]
Academy Awards Best Original Song Won [56]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Female Artist Herself Nominated [57]
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album "I Can't Breathe" Nominated
Outstanding R&B/Soul Song Nominated
"B.S." (with Jhene Aiko) Nominated
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) Nominated
BET Awards Best Female R&B/Pop Artist Herself Won N/A
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award "Hold Us Together" Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ "H.E.R. Among Artists Educating Kids on Civics in Netflix Series 'We the People'". billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Fedaku, Mesfin (November 7, 2018). "Doing It H.E.R. Way: Singer Gab Wilson Emerges From Shadows". Los Angeles: KNBC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  3. ^ Robehmed, Natalie (November 14, 2017). "Yes, R&B Sensation H.E.R. Is Gabi Wilson". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Kellman, Andy. "H.E.R. Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  5. ^ "Showtime at the Apollo". Times Herald. August 31, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  6. ^ 10 Year Old H.E.R. (Gabi Wilson) - Showtime at the Apollo, retrieved July 1, 2021
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "10 Things You Should Know About Gabi Wilson". BET. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  8. ^ Robehmed, Natalie (November 14, 2017). "Yes, R&B Sensation H.E.R. Is Gabi Wilson". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "[1] Archived 2017-06-17 at the Wayback Machine", iTunes, (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  10. ^ Makeda Sandford, "ICYMI: 'H.E.R. Vol 1.' Gives Us a Taste of Mystery R&B Songstress Archived 2017-08-30 at the Wayback Machine", Saint Heron, September 21, 2016 (retrieved May 10, 2017)
  11. ^ Lakin Starling, "H.E.R. on the Surprise of Hearing Her Song In Rihanna’s Breezy Instagram Video Archived 2017-05-16 at the Wayback Machine", The Fader, April 10, 2017 (retrieved May 10, 2017)
  12. ^ Kiana Fitzgerald/Bobby Carter, "5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On In 2016 Archived 2018-04-06 at the Wayback Machine", NPR, December 17, 2016 (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  13. ^ Rolling Stone, "10 New Artists You Need to Know: March 2017 Archived 2017-08-30 at the Wayback Machine", Rolling Stone, March 15, 2017 (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  14. ^ Ogden Payne, "5 Alternative R&B Artists To Look Out For In 2017 Archived 2017-08-07 at the Wayback Machine", Forbes, January 9, 2017 (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  15. ^ "H.E.R. Announces First-Ever Headlining Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Velez, Jennifer. "H.E.R. Wins Best R&B Album For 'H.E.R.'| 2019 GRAMMYs". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  17. ^ "H.E.R. Announces 'I Used to Know HER Tour'". Rap-up.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  18. ^ "H.E.R. Prepares For Debut Album With 'I Used To Know Her: The Prelude' EP". NPR. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  19. ^ "H.E.R. – I Used To Know Her [Album Stream]". OnSmash. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  20. ^ Perez, Lexy (July 30, 2019). "Queen, Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys Among Headliners at 2019 Global Citizen Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  21. ^ "The 7 Best Moments From Global Citizen Festival 2019". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "Rock in Rio Brasil" (in Portuguese). Rock in Rio. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  23. ^ "Abbo of St. Germain's Sermo de Cena Domini from MS CCCC 190", The Homilies of Wulfstan, Oxford University Press, January 1, 1957, doi:10.1093/oseo/instance.00257657, ISBN 978-0-19-811101-6, retrieved February 12, 2021
  24. ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 15, 2021). "H.E.R. says 'it's time to go full throttle' with acting career as she plots Hollywood takeover". EW.
  25. ^ "H.E.R.'s 'Damage' Hits No. 1 on R&B Radio". Rated R&B. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  26. ^ Criscitiello, Alexa (August 27, 2021). "H.E.R. in Final Talks to Join THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  27. ^ Jackson, Angelique (August 27, 2021). "H.E.R. Lands First Major Acting Role, Will Star in Blitz Bazawule's 'The Color Purple'". Variety. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick D. "So who is she? Mysterious R&B singer H.E.R. wants the focus to stay on the music — and the mystery Archived 2017-05-13 at the Wayback Machine", Los Angeles Times, September 21, 2016 (retrieved May 10, 2017)
  29. ^ "10 New Artists You Need to Know: March 2017 Archived 2017-08-30 at the Wayback Machine", Rolling Stone, March 15, 2017 (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  30. ^ "Meet H.E.R., a Rising Voice Whose Face Remains a Mystery Archived 2018-08-04 at the Wayback Machine", NPR, December 17, 2016 (retrieved May 9, 2017)
  31. ^ "H.E.R. Announces 'The Lights On Tour'". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  32. ^ "H.E.R. Announces North American "I Used To Know Her" Tour". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  33. ^ "Bryson Tiller Reveals Set It Off Tour With H.E.R. & Metro Boomin'". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  34. ^ "Chris Brown Announces 'Heartbreak On A Full Moon Tour' With 6lack, H.E.R. And Rich The Kid". LiveNation. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  35. ^ "Childish Gambino". The O2. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  36. ^ "Solange, Bruno Mars Lead 2017 Soul Train Awards Nominations". Billboard. October 17, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  37. ^ Amatulli, Jenna (May 16, 2018). "The 2018 BET Awards Nominations Are Here And DJ Khaled Must Be Screaming". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  38. ^ "2018 Soul Train Awards Nominees". BET. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  39. ^ Lynch, Joe. "Grammys 2019 Nominees: The Complete List". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  40. ^ "2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards Winners: See The Complete List | iHeartRadio Music Awards". iHeartRadio Music Awards. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  41. ^ Lynch, Joe (May 1, 2019). "2019 Billboard Music Awards Winners: The Complete List". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  42. ^ Ju, Shirley (June 23, 2019). "BET Awards 2019: The Complete Winners List". Variety. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  43. ^ "BET Her – Nominees". BET. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  44. ^ Minsker, Evan (July 23, 2019). "MTV VMAs 2019: See The Full List of Nominees Here". Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  45. ^ France, Lisa Respers (November 18, 2019). "2019 BET Soul Train Awards: The winners list". CNN. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  46. ^ Fields, Taylor (January 8, 2020). "2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards Nominees Revealed: See the Full List". iHeartRadio. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  47. ^ Gibbs, Adrienne. "NAACP Image Awards 2020: Complete Nominations List". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  48. ^ "Here Are All the Winners From the 2020 BET Awards". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  49. ^ Ginsberg, Gab (July 30, 2020). "Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga Lead 2020 MTV VMA Nominations: See Full List". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  50. ^ Szalai, Georg (October 6, 2020). "Lady Gaga Leads MTV EMAs Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  51. ^ Grein, Paul (November 11, 2020). "H.E.R. & Chris Brown Lead 2020 Soul Train Awards Nominations: Here's the Complete List". Billboard.
  52. ^ Willman, Chris (November 24, 2020). "Grammy Award Nominations 2021: The Complete List". Variety. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  53. ^ Willman, Chris (January 12, 2021). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards Announces 2021 Nominees; Kenny Loggins Set for Lifetime Honor (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  54. ^ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (February 3, 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  55. ^ Chan, Anna (February 8, 2021). "2021 Critics Choice Awards Nominations: See the Full List". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  56. ^ Dove, Steve. "Oscar Nominations 2021 List: Nominees by Category". abc. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  57. ^ Davis, Clayton (February 2, 2021). "Viola Davis, Tyler Perry and Regina King Up for Entertainer of the Year at 2021 NAACP Image Awards". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""