Taking on classic 90s
R&B is an ambitious task - one many critics would say is impossible
to recreate in our arguably pretentious, social media-driven millennial
era. But one artist who seems to have nailed just that is H.E.R, an
elusive singer/songwriter whose debut EP Volume 1, an earnest
coming-of-age story, topped iTunes’ R&B charts in 2016 after being
released anonymously by RCA records.
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| https://youtu.be/Z5ze4CUAkE8 |
The 20-year-old
California native, who is rumoured to be child star Gabi Wilson but has
yet to confirm her true identity, has since built a legion of loyal
fans (including the likes of Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Drake),
released a follow-up EP titled ‘Volume 2’ and headlined her own
international tour - all while maintaining her enigmatic persona.
“We live in a time where everybody wants to know everything about
someone’s personal life and that kind of matters more than the music,”
she tells GLAMOUR as we catch up with the rising star at a London hotel.
Her face is covered by big sunglasses and her signature curly locks,
concealing her identity. “It’s all about how many followers you have,
who you’re associated with, what you’re wearing, the popularity factor,
and this kind of superficial way of looking at what’s important,” she
continues. “I wanted people to just accept the music for what it is
without any judgement and being anonymous was the best way to do that.”
The concept of H.E.R, an acronym for ‘Having Everything Revealed’ was
inspired by a “dark time” in her life. “When you’re growing up as a
young woman, you develop all of these insecurities, and then there’s
boys and all of that stuff on top of that,” she explains. “I remember
being 14 and saying ‘I’ll never be that girl who goes for the wrong guy
or does this and does that’, but then I ended up being her; I was that
girl.”
Exploring themes of love, loss, heartbreak and intimacy,
her music is, as she describes it, “R&B to the core” - a statement
backed up by the confessional lyrics, soulful vibe and atmospheric 90s
melodies heard in her aforementioned projects. “R&B is very honest
and we’ve kind of lost that honesty, the stories, and that real emotion
and pain. It’s supposed to be rhythm and blues and I think the blues
part was missing for a really long time.”
Determined
not to continue the habit, H.E.R is far from filtered when writing her
music. As an artist who prides herself in prioritising emotion and
authenticity, studio sessions have become somewhat therapeutic for her.
“I’d be sitting at the piano with Swagg R’Celious (a producer she often
works with and refers to as a “big brother”) and be in tears telling him
stories about stuff that happens at home or what I’m going through,”
she says.” He helped me understand that I needed to live my truth,
especially if I want my music to be real.” However, that was easier said
than done when it came to one particular track. ‘Pigment’, a piano-led
ballad discussing the power of sexual attraction and the pain of a
one-sided relationship, is her most personal release to date.
“Secretly
I’m anxious, cause the thirst has never been mutual. It’s unusual that
someone like you thinks I’m beautiful,” she sings in the track mixing
her velvet vocals with chilling interludes of spoken word. “I played it
for Swagg in the studio and I begged him not to show it to anyone” she
recalls. “I didn’t plan on ever releasing it because when you’re going
through things like that, you think you’re the only one, even though
you’re not.” It’s this bona fide vulnerability that makes her music so
relatable to her three million monthly Spotify listeners.
As the daughter of a musician, the multi-talented artist
has always considered music second nature. Alongside her
singer/songwriter credentials, she plays instruments like the drums,
guitar, bass and the piano. “My dad and I would perform around the Bay
Area where I’m from in California together, and I also did talent shows
growing up, I loved it,” she says reminiscently.
She
was snapped up by RCA records at the tender age of 14 but was given
time to evolve, both as an artist and a young woman, before releasing
any music. “They allowed me to figure out myself before I wanted to
present myself to the world because at 14 you’re a different person
than age 18 or 19, 20,” she says. “I’m really grateful for that.”
It’s easy to forget that H.E.R belongs to Generation Z
when listening to her candid music or hearing her speak. While her
lyrics are very much modern - “Uber on the way/My phone is charging” is
the opening line of her track, Wait For It - her mature demeanour is one
of a woman who is wise beyond her years. As is her choice to refrain
from Instagram selfies to protect her sense of mystery.
So,
what are her thoughts on social media and the oversharing nature of her
peers? “I think we’re starting to notice the important things,” she
says. “We use social media as a platform to speak on issues that we feel
passionate about and I see people debating on Twitter all the time
about social injustices,” a prime example of this being the ongoing
#MarchForOurLives movement in support of tighter gun control in America.
“There’s always going to be bad in the good and vice versa,” she
continues. “But people are starting to see through the fake and the
pretenders on Instagram.”
#MarchForOurLives
#glamourmagazine
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