BY RUNJNI SHASTRI//
It’s H.E.R, a R&B singer/songwriter based in California. H.E.R rose to popularity in 2017 as someone who hid her identity. As a singer she started her career as herself, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, but after finding little success, she decided to take a different approach. With her first album, self titled H.E.R., she didn’t reveal her true identity. She performed with big sunglasses to somewhat hide her face, which has since become part of her brand.
H.E.R is an acronym for Having Everything Released. Most of her music has to do with societal issues, empowerment, and being vulnerable, and she champions herself as a voice for women. Throughout her music career she has won 4 Grammy Awards, one of which was for Song of the Year in 2021 for her song “I Can’t Breathe”. Her newest album, Back of My Mind, is reminiscent of lounge music and the smooth vocals, spectacular songwriting, and production quality make it a highly loved album. The album itself is composed of 21 songs, which makes it feel like it’s really 2 parts of a greater whole. There are songs featuring a variety of other artists such as Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Khaled, and YG.
H.E.R is performing at the Anthem on October 25th, and then will be going to Chicago and Detroit to finish off her tour for this year. Her setlist includes some of her best songs from her most recent album, as well as her older music. She also includes a few covers of songs that show off her powerful voice.