California-born American singer Gabriella Wilson, best known by her stage name H.E.R., is now signed to RCA Records. She used a gimmick to make herself seem mysterious in the early years of her career by hiding her identity. H.E.R. was raised in California and began performing music at a young age. When she was twelve years old, she made her big TV debut on “Today Show,” filling in for Alicia Keys on the piano during one of her performances. At the age of 14, she was subsequently recruited to Sony Entertainment, and under the large label, she dropped her debut single, “Something to Prove.” She took a few years off before returning to the music scene in 2016 with the release of her debut EP, “H.E.R. Volume 1.” A number of musicians, including Pusha T, Usher, and Rihanna, helped to promote the album and make it successful. Following the release of five EPs in a row, she put out a compilation album named “H.E.R.” in late 2017, which was nominated for five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist.
Early Life & Childhood
On June 27, 1997, H.E.R. was born Gabriella Wilson in Vallejo, California, to Agnes and Kenny Wilson. She got her first taste of music from her father, who played in a local band called Urban Bushmen in California. Her mother was a homemaker and a native Filipino. When she was younger, her parents gave her the moniker Gabi.
She began studying and performing music at a very young age, drawing inspiration from her father. When she was nine years old, she performed at the Apollo Theatre in New York City. It was her first time performing in front of a big crowd.
She also made an appearance on the “Today Show,” when she gave Alicia Keys a piano performance. At the age of twelve, H.E.R. also appeared at the Grammy Awards alongside Alicia. She has contributed music to shows like The View, Good Morning America, and The Maury Pauvich Show.
When she sang two songs at the ASCAP Awards while still 12 years old, she also had a significant breakthrough in her career. Later that year, she was selected as one of Radio Disney’s three “Next Big Things.” During her youth, she experienced a great deal of celebrity, which helped her gain valuable professional exposure. However, it also made her feel self-conscious, so she chose to work primarily behind the scenes.
When she was fourteen years old, she signed a contract with Sony Entertainment. Her first song to be officially released was “Something to Prove,” following which she took a two-year hiatus.
Career of H.E.R.
She had stayed a mystery to music fans and had not disclosed any details about her background or present to the general public. She returned in late 2016 after signing with the RCA Records label, going under the stage name H.E.R., which meant for “having everything revealed.” Her debut EP, “HER Vol. 1,” was released without any prior promotion or excitement.
The EP was executive produced by Kehlani, K. Michelle, and Zhavia, and it was released in September of 2016. The album didn’t gain up speed at first. Alicia Keys and Bryson Tiller, who shared the album’s release on social media, were signed to the same label.
The EP began to receive support from other musicians, including Pusha T and Usher, and gradually it began to generate a lot of buzz. One of the album’s supporters, Rihanna, posted a video to Instagram including the song “Focus” from EP playing in the background. Five million people viewed the video, which increased awareness of the record.
As more favorable reviews from listeners and critics began to arrive, more celebrities, like Kendall and Kylie Jenner, came out in favor of it. Over 20 million people have listened to the album’s tracks on Spotify. The album was listened to 65 million times across all other streaming platforms put together. This tremendous success proved that people enjoyed her songs.
This was not the end of the success tale. The EP “H.E.R. Vol. 1” was featured on NPR Radio’s list of “5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On.” NPR enjoyed the dramatic highs and lows as well as the “slow burning” aspect of the music. H.E.R. made lists of performers to watch out for in magazines like Forbes and The Rolling Stones.
2017 saw the release of her sophomore EP, “H.E.R. Vol. 2,” which Kehlani, K Michelle, and Zhavia also executive produced. The album “Say it Again” peaked at number seven on the Hot R&B chart, with one of its singles being extremely popular.
A few months later, she successfully released “H.E.R. Vol 2, The B Sides,” the follow-up to her second EP. However, unlike the previous EP, it was unable to reach the top 10 list of numerous charts.
“I Used to Know Her: The Prelude,” her fourth EP, was published in August 2018. The EP, which was released under the RCA Records label, gained popularity quickly and reached the US Billboard 200 chart, peaking at position 20. The EP’s top rank on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart was number twelve. She had a massively growing fan base by then. The US R&B Chart was also topped by the album.
She also performed her songs on a national tour. She gave one of her most memorable stage appearances during the 2017 BET Experience Concerts in Los Angeles. She shared the stage with well-known performers like Khalid, Kid Kudi, Wiz Khalifa, and Snoop Dogg.
At the age of 20, she was making a significant impact on the business with her soulful music, which fused elements of modern hip-hop. Since most of her songs dealt with the feelings of reeling from breakups and heartache, young people were drawn to them.
‘I Used to Know Her: Part 2’, another hit EP by H.E.R. that charted on multiple American charts, was released in November 2018.
In addition to putting out her own EPs, she has occasionally appeared on the works of other musicians. Daniel Caesar’s song “Best Part,” which she co-wrote, peaked at number one on the US Adult R&B Chart. The RIAA awarded the song a Platinum certification as well.
Her tunes have also been featured on numerous TV shows and movie soundtracks. She had a song featured in the second season of the Netflix original series “Dear White People” called “Still Down.” She had also performed in the songs “I Can Feel It” and “This Way” from the soundtracks of movies like “Superfly” and “Uncle Drew.”
She released “H.E.R.,” her debut compilation album, in October 2017. The album included six additional brand-new hits in addition to a few tracks taken from her first two EPs. It proved to be her most prosperous endeavor to date, earning her five Grammy Award nominations, including two for Album of the Year and Best New Artist
Individual Life of H.E.R.
H.E.R. has maintained complete secrecy about both her former and present personal lives. She feels that remaining anonymous allows her to continue working in the studios and writing songs in a “lonely” manner.
She also claims that her appearance and clothing are unimportant to her. She would rather avoid the spotlight so that others can evaluate her only based on her musical output.
She began performing music at an early age. She encountered some difficulties at first since she was a “young Black woman playing guitar.” However, she overcome them and is pleased that she is now an influence to young people.
Net worth of H.E.R.
The estimated net worth of H.E.R. is about $3 million.