H.E.R. is on the high of her recreation proper now. Between her 21 profession Grammy nominations, her Oscar win, snagging her first appearing position, and gearing up for Coldplay’s tour, she is music’s darling musician who’s properly on her solution to turning into an icon.
On high of all her many accomplishments, H.E.R. has additionally been tapped by M&M’s to assist unveil its new album art packs — a partnership she’s enthusiastic about as a self-proclaimed fan of the model. “[The collaboration] was simply consistent with the whole lot that I stand for,” she tells POPSUGAR. “Individuality and music, and bringing individuals collectively . . . All of these issues are particular to me. It is a actually cool, surprising, surreal collaboration.”
“I really feel prefer it’s type of telling me I am right here for the lengthy recreation.”
The beloved singer is up for eight Grammy nominations this yr — which embody almost each R&B class, in addition to album and track of the yr. And previously 4 years, she’s secured 4 wins. At this level in her profession, H.E.R. takes all her wins and nominations as “affirmation [that] I am doing one thing proper.” She provides: “I really feel prefer it’s type of telling me I am right here for the lengthy recreation. I have been working so exhausting in music and on my craft that for this to occur, I dreamt about this. It is type of like, OK, I am right here, and I am right here to remain. Like I earned my stripes or one thing, however it’s actually particular.”
With all of her musical success, H.E.R. tells us she continues to search out inspiration from legends like Prince, Michael Jackson, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu, to call a number of. However she’s additionally an enormous fan of her friends. “I like Burna Boy,” she says. “And I additionally love Yebba; she’s actually wonderful vocally [and] I really feel like I can study from her a lot. Summer Walker, too, who I might like to work with, who I believe is an incredible author, singer, and songwriter. There’s a variety of dope artists proper now that encourage me.”
Regardless of being labeled one of many largest R&B artists at the moment, H.E.R. does not need to be boxed into only one style. In truth, she reveals that she’s engaged on “a number of totally different initiatives in numerous genres” proper now. “I am at all times going to be R&B on the core, however there are such a lot of issues that I’ve at all times cherished since I used to be younger, and I have been unleashing, slowly however certainly, a few of these issues,” she says. “I’ve gotten to work with a variety of totally different legends, like Sting and Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, and Alicia Keys. So it is like, the sky is the restrict. I simply need to make nice music. It does not matter what style it’s. Genres are type of simply containers, and R&B lives in the whole lot.”
Past her music profession, H.E.R. has her sights set on conquering the appearing world as she gears as much as star in “The Color Purple” film musical. Final yr, “The Hollywood Reporter” confirmed that the “Again of My Thoughts” singer would play the position of Squeak — a juke-joint waitress who aspires to be an expert singer. “I used to be so nervous about it, I am not going to lie,” she tells us. “As a result of ‘The Colour Purple’ is such an enormous movie and I actually need to present up and do my factor. However I am simply grateful for the chance. I believe it’ll be enjoyable.”
With a number of Grammys and an Oscar beneath her belt, many imagine H.E.R. has what it takes to reach EGOT status. “In fact, that is at all times the objective, however I am probably not doing issues like, ‘OK, I received to do that as a result of I need the EGOT,'” she says. “I’ve ambitions to be in TV and movie as an actress, possibly be on Broadway, create my very own play, rating movies, issues like that. I believe my ambition and my ardour is de facto going to take me there greater than something . . . I am midway there, such as you mentioned, so it isn’t too far of a attain.”
H.E.R. nonetheless has a lot extra to perform in her profession, however she’s picked up some gems of knowledge alongside the best way that she hopes to go right down to different artists. “The most important factor is do not compromise your self,” she says. “As a result of the world tries to present you a system or mildew of what an artist is, and also you type of [have] to at all times go in opposition to the grain and belief your intestine. You bought to only do you and benefit from the journey. That is the most important half.”
The sixty fourth annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to happen on Sunday, April 3.
