Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R. (born June 27, 1997), is an American singer/songwriter of Afro-Filipino descent. H.E.R. first made her debut with a single in 2014 under her real name, before re-emerging in 2016 under the H.E.R. persona. H.E.R. stated she underwent the change in identity to downplay herself as a celebrity in order to get people more interested in her music. The acronym stands for Having Everything Revealed.
H.E.R. released her breakthrough project H.E.R. Vol. 1 in 2016. The EP was critically acclaimed and received a lot of praise from well-known artists such as Usher, Alicia Keys, and Rihanna. She would continue to release singles and EPs, and in 2021, she won 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.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Back of My Mind (2021)
Extended Plays
- H.E.R. Volume 1 (2016)
- H.E.R. Volume 2 (2017)
- H.E.R. Volume 2, The B Sides (2017)
- I Used to Know Her: The Prelude (2018)
- I Used to Know Her: Part 2 (2018)
Compilation albums
- H.E.R. (2017)
- I Used To Know Her (2019)
Singles
- "Focus" (2016)
- "Best Part", with Daniel Caesar (2017)
- "I Can't Breathe" (2020)
- "Fight for You" (2021)
- "Come Through", featuring Chris Brown (2021)
Filmography
- We The People (2021)
- Yes Day (2021)
- Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022)
- The Color Purple (2023)
Tropes
- Child Popstar: Was originally this, having gained notoriety covering Alicia Keys songs at the age of 10 and participating in Nickelodeon and Disney Channel projects.
- Cool Shades: H.E.R. wears dark, round sunglasses to practically every stage performance. It helps create a distinctive look, preserve anonymity, and (according to her) helps her focus on the music. Her tendency to do this is mentioned in "Slide":You always wearin' them glasses
You don't wanna let no sucker look you in your eyes, huh? - Fun with Acronyms: H.E.R. stands for "Having Everything Revealed," ironically.
- Little Black Dress: An attractive black dress in the lyrics of "Pigment":I know you visualize my figure
I was the one that made you look
At your old girl and reconsider
You see me in that black dress
On the first date - Protest Song:
- "I Can't Breathe" was written for/in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement and discusses the treatment of Black people in America.
- "Fight for You", written for a film about the Black Panther Party, naturally has galvanizing lyrics and is about protesting in the name of freedom.
- Silly Love Songs: "Every Kind of Way" is about warm, wholehearted love for someone you want to protect and care for.
