 H.E.R. in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Gabi Wilson |
| Born | Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson June 27, 1997 Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | her-official |
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her" and standing for "Having Everything Revealed") is an American R&B singer-songwriter. She has won an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, and been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
After initially recording under her birth name, she adopted the stage name H.E.R. in 2016 and signed with RCA Records to release her debut extended play (EP), H.E.R. Volume 1, in September of that year. It was followed by four EPs, the first two of which were part of her self-titled compilation album (2017), which peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 and, from five total nominations, won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for its single, "Best Part" (with Daniel Caesar).[1] Her second compilation album, I Used to Know Her (2019), met with similar commercial success and also received five Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year for its single, "Hard Place".[2]
In 2021, she won her third Grammy Award for Song of the Year with her George Floyd protest-inspired single "I Can't Breathe". That same year, her song "Fight for You"—released for the film Judas and the Black Messiah—won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance. This makes her the first Academy Award winner born in Generation Z. Her debut studio album, Back of My Mind (2021), was met with critical acclaim and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.[2] In 2022, she won the Children's and Family Emmy Award for her contributions to Barack and Michelle Obama's animated children's series, We the People.
Early life and family
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson[3][4] was born on June 27, 1997, in Vallejo, California,[5] to a Filipino mother and an African-American father, and raised in California's San Francisco Bay Area. According to an interview with Guitar Center, Wilson's father was a musician in a cover band, and hosted their practice sessions in the family's living room.[6] Additionally, members of her mother's extended family were guitarists, drummers and bassists, as well as vocalists, often playing for karaoke events.[6] Wilson states that these were some of her earliest influences, musically.[6]
Career
2007–2011: Career beginnings
At age ten, performing as Gabi Wilson, she played an Alicia Keys song on the piano for the Today Show[3] and at the famed Apollo Theater (Harlem, New York City) on September 23, 2007, covering Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love".[7][8] She made her acting debut at the age of 9, starring in the Nickelodeon television film School Gyrls, created by Nick Cannon.[9] She also performed on Maury (2007), and Good Morning America and The View (both in 2008).[9] At this time, she was managed by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment.[9] She performed at age 12 at the 2010 BET Awards, covering Keys' 2001 hit "Fallin'", sang 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.[9]
2011–2016: Signing with RCA
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 in 2011 when she was 14. In 2014, her debut single "Something to Prove" was released under her real name.[9][10]
2016–2019: Breakthrough and I Used to Know Her
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Rebranding in 2016 with the new H.E.R. 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.[11][12] In April 2017, Barbadian singer 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.[13] 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".[14] 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.[15] 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."[16]
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.[17] 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.[18]
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.[19][20] Her second compilation album I Used to Know Her was released on August 30, 2019.[21] She performed as one of the headliners of the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York on September 28.[22][23] 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.[24]
2020–present: Back of My Mind and acting debut
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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,[25] she performed "America the Beautiful", singing and playing guitar. On June 17, 2021, her single "Damage" topped the US R&B radio chart.[26] The song is from her debut full-length album Back of My Mind, which was released on June 18, 2021, receiving two nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2021 she also duet with Tauren Wells on the song called "Hold Us Together".[27] In July 2021 she performed a song about citizenship on Netflix TV series We the People, making her winner of the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Program.
H.E.R. made her acting debut as Belle on Disney musical television special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,[28] while she starred as Mary "Squeak" Agnes on 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule, being nominated with the cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and winning a NAACP Image Awards.[29]
H.E.R. joined Usher's performance at Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, playing electric guitar during "U Got It Bad" and "Bad Girl."[30] On February 13, 2024, H.E.R. announced a new management deal with Lighthouse Management + Media, whose founder Aleen Keshishian also represents singers Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez.[31] The move came after legal disputes with Wilson's previous management, MBK Entertainment, which included Wilson filing a lawsuit to be released from the MBK label.[32][33]
On October 29, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter announced that H.E.R. would voice Jo, one of the main characters in the DreamWorks animated film Forgotten Island, which will be released on September 25, 2026.[34]
Musical style
Consisting mostly of R&B ballads, H.E.R.'s songs have been described as "downcast post-breakup material that sounded vulnerable and assured at once".[5] In an interview, H.E.R. mentioned that she grew up listening to Filipino ballad singers such as Sharon Cuneta and Jay R.[35] H.E.R. has also openly credited the singer Prince as one of her biggest influences.[36][37] She has also cited artists such as Lenny Kravitz and B.B. King as influences.[38]
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."[39]
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."[40] 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?'"[41]
Media appearances
H.E.R. appeared as herself in the movie Yes Day (2021).[42] She performed her original song "Change" on the episode "Active Citizenship" of the 2021 Netflix educational animated series We the People.[43] On July 20, 2022, it was announced H.E.R. would be singing the role of Belle for ABC's Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.[44] The television special aired on December 15, 2022. She sang the National Anthem at Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. On October 28, 2023, she made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing “The Glass” with Foo Fighters. She made her big-screen acting debut in The Color Purple,[45] which was released in theaters on December 25, 2023.
On August 11, 2024, she sang the national anthem of the United States of America, "The Star-Spangled Banner", during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France as part of the handover ceremony from Paris to Los Angeles.[46]
Discography
Studio albums
- Back of My Mind (2021)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Erma | Erma | Short film | |
| 2021 | Yes Day | Herself | Film debut | |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | Mary "Squeak" Agnes | ||
| 2026 | Forgotten Island † | Jo | [34] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | School Gyrls | Gabi | Television film |
| 2020 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Adele/H.E.R." |
| 2021 | We the People | Performer | Episode: "Active Citizenship" |
| 2022 | Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration | Belle | Special |
| Blue's Clues & You! | T.Rex (voice) | Episode: "Blue's Dino Clues" | |
| Bob's Burgers | Aliah (voice) | Episode: "The Plight Before Christmas" |
Tours
Headlining tours
Supporting
- Bryson Tiller – Set It Off Tour (2017)[49]
- Chris Brown – Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour (2018)[50]
- Childish Gambino – This Is America Tour (2019)[51]
- Coldplay – Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022)[52]
Awards and nominations
See also
References
- ^ "H.E.R. | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Billboard 200: H.E.R.'s 'Back of My Mind' Opens to Singer's Best First-Week Sales Yet - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. June 28, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Fedaku, Mesfin (November 7, 2018). "Doing It H.E.R. Way: Singer Gab Wilson Emerges From Shadows". nbclosangeles.com. Los Angeles: KNBC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "H.E.R. Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c "H.E.R. | How The Fender Strat Inspires Her Sound". Guitar Center (YouTube channel). November 5, 2020.
- ^ "Showtime at the Apollo". Times Herald. August 31, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ^ 10 Year Old H.E.R. (Gabi Wilson) - Showtime at the Apollo, February 4, 2008, retrieved July 1, 2021 – via YouTube
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "[1] ", iTunes, (retrieved May 9, 2017)
- ^ "ICYMI: 'H.E.R. Vol 1.' Gives Us a Taste of Mystery R&B Songstress". Saint Heron. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017.
- ^ "H.E.R. on the Surprise of Hearing Her Song In Rihanna's Breezy Instagram Video". The Fader. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017.
- ^ "5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On In 2016". NPR. December 17, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018.
- ^ "10 New Artists You Need to Know: March 2017". Rolling Stone. March 15, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017.
- ^ "5 Alternative R&B Artists To Look Out For In 2017". Forbes. January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017.
- ^ "H.E.R. Announces First-Ever Headlining Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Holmes, Summer (August 3, 2018). "H.E.R. Prepares For Debut Album With 'I Used To Know Her: The Prelude' EP". NPR. NPR. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ "H.E.R. – I Used To Know Her [Album Stream]". OnSmash. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ Perez, Lexy (July 30, 2019). "Queen, Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys Among Headliners at 2019 Global Citizen Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "The 7 Best Moments From Global Citizen Festival 2019". Billboard. September 29, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Rock in Rio Brasil" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Rock in Rio. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "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
{{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ "H.E.R.'s 'Damage' Hits No. 1 on R&B Radio". Rated R&B. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Apple announces third annual Apple Music Award winners". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Behzadi, Sofia (July 20, 2022). "H.E.R. To Star As Belle In ABC's "Beauty And the Beast' Hybrid Live-Action & Animation Special". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (August 27, 2021). "H.E.R. to Make Acting Debut in The Color Purple Movie Musical (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ "H.E.R. Posts 'How It Started vs How It's Going' from Singing at 49ers Games as a Kid to 2024 Super Bowl". People.com.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (February 13, 2024). "H.E.R. Signs With Lighthouse Management and Media". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ Mitchell, Gail (February 14, 2024). "H.E.R. Inks Management Deal with Lighthouse Management + Media". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (June 20, 2022). "H.E.R. Files Lawsuit to Be Released From Her Label, MBK Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ a b Gajewski, Ryan (October 29, 2025). "H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Lea Salonga to Lead Voice Cast for DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 31, 2025.
- ^ "Fil-Am singer H.E.R. 'listened to a lot of Sharon Cuneta' growing up". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ Shattuck, Kathryn (July 6, 2021). "H.E.R. Still Finds Inspiration in Prince and 'Martin'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ Yglesias, Ana Monroy (April 9, 2020). "H.E.R. Celebrates Prince At "Let's Go Crazy" Tribute: "It's Gonna Be A Party!". grammy.com. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ "7 Of H.E.R.'s Biggest Musical Influences". Vibe. June 27, 2023.
- ^ "So who is she? Mysterious R&B singer H.E.R. wants the focus to stay on the music — and the mystery". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017.
- ^ "10 New Artists You Need to Know: March 2017". Rolling Stone. March 15, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017.
- ^ "Meet H.E.R., a Rising Voice Whose Face Remains a Mystery". NPR. December 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "H.E.R. Among Artists Educating Kids on Civics in Netflix Series 'We the People'". Billboard. July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ Ianucci, Rebecca (July 20, 2022). "Beauty and the Beast: H.E.R. to Star as Belle in ABC's Live-Action Production". TVLine.com.
- ^ Aquilina, Tyler (August 28, 2023). "H.E.R. will make acting debut in The Color Purple movie musical". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (August 9, 2024). "H.E.R. Will Perform U.S. National Anthem at Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony". Variety. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "H.E.R. Announces 'The Lights On Tour'". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Childish Gambino". The O2. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ "Coldplay brings eco-friendly tour with H.E.R. to Levi's Stadium". The Mercury News. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- H.E.R.
- 1997 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American women singers
- 21st-century American women singers
- 21st-century American women guitarists
- African-American women guitarists
- African-American guitarists
- African-American women singer-songwriters
- American women singer-songwriters
- American child musicians
- American contemporary R&B singers
- American musicians of Filipino descent
- American ballad musicians
- Best Original Song Academy Award–winning songwriters
- Children's and Family Emmy Award winners
- Filipino people of African-American descent
- Grammy Award winners
- Guitarists from California
- MTV Video Music Award winners
- Musicians from Vallejo, California
- RCA Records artists
- Singer-songwriters from California
