Back Of My Mind

HER Is One Of The Coolest Performers In Music Right Now

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her la show recap
Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz

Tuesday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA, R&B star HER absolutely showed out on the latest stop on the ongoing tour for her debut album, Back Of My Mind. You would think, given the multi-instrumentalist’s status as an awards show fixture, that this wouldn’t be a surprise. But somehow, even though I knew going in what kind of a performer she is, I was still unprepared for just how much I’d catch myself getting into the performance.

Maybe there’s something to not letting small glimpses feel like the big picture. Although we’ve all “seen” HER going for broke in at least a dozen televised broadcasts over the past three years, the constraints of a single song performance just don’t do her justice. Her vocal range will blow you away. Her mastery of the stage is truly astonishing. The way she oozes charisma and easygoing NorCal charm when she interacts with the audience is inspiring. Even her laid-back tour uniform — an oversized silk shirt and Nikes — seems aimed at putting the star in her element, like we’re all just hanging out in her living room (her 6,000-plus capacity living room) enjoying a jam session.

And jam she does. In addition to playing both her established hits like “Damage” and “Focus,” she displays a staggering wealth of musical appreciation. In the course of her 90-minute set, she reeled off a medley of rock hits including Joan Jett’s, “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” played portions of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On suite, and delivered thrilling renditions of Ed Sheeran’s “Make It Rain” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (the latter of which she performed with the man himself at the recent Grammys ceremony). “Virtuoso” doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. But in recalling that Grammy’s ceremony, HER’s performance highlighted something that feels like a growing problem within the music industry.

In the days since the 64th annual Grammy Awards last Sunday, there has been a lot of cynical derisive chatter online about so-called “Grammy-core.” You probably know that snobby music writer appellative used to deride a certain kind of prestigious and popular musician. It suggests that some artists — perhaps the ones favored by the “Grammys audience,” whatever that is — aren’t cool or edgy or gritty enough just because your mom likes them or something.

The thing about that line of thinking is that, aside from being completely juvenile in origin (seriously, most of you ARE the uncool parents, so pipe down), it is totally disrespectful of those artists who actually care about the art. Maybe they’re popular and respected by their peers because they care. Because they put in the work. Because they’re professional and polished and practiced (an underrated, too often overlooked quality) or because they had the dedication to toil quietly behind the scenes before taking the hard-won spotlight they worked so hard to deserve.

The thing about a career artist like HER is that she’s not some fly-by-night, devil-may-care newcomer — and that’s a good thing, not a bad one. Maybe that’s not rebellious enough for some folks but I would contend that this makes her more of a rebel than any number of viral success stories who affect a cavalier air of indifference toward their art and careers. Personally, I never trust an artist who works harder to convince their audience that they don’t care how they’re perceived… Usually, they care the most, but never enough to actually put in the work.

HER does. She loves music. And, for what it’s worth, people actually love her back. Throughout the show, the diverse audience didn’t just sing along, they straight-up belted just about every song. HER’s genuine appreciation for music was reflected in the crowd around her. It was reflected in the way she was happy to cede the spotlight to her 17-year-old backup singer during her Daniel Caesar duet “Best Part,” beaming like a proud auntie. It was reflected in how she acknowledged her Grammys success with a lighthearted flex but insisted — sincerely — that she loved performing for the people at the YouTube Theater more.

That sincerity, I think, isn’t just what makes her an awesome performer… It makes her cool, much cooler than the people who performatively slag off anything too popular or sincere. She’s comfortable in herself, in her talent, in her skill, and in the relationship between artists and their audience. She’s comfortable enough that she doesn’t feel compelled to do anything more than play for the love of playing, sing for the love of singing, and humbly accept the accolades and adoration that come her way as a result. HER isn’t just one of the best performers in music today, she’s one of the coolest, and she deserves to be acknowledged as such.

HER Just Announced A New Leg Of Her ‘Back Of My Mind’ Tour

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HER's 2022 tour supporting 'Back Of My Mind' kicks off this April
Tim Saccenti

After a successful 2021 tour supporting her debut album Back Of My Mind, HER has announced a second leg of US tour dates. The new leg of the Back Of My Mind tour will kick off in April in Honolulu and take place over the course of 19 dates.

“I’ve been so eager to connect with my fans this year, so it’s great to get back on the road,” HER said in a statement. “Being on stage fuels me as a musician and I can’t wait to feel that energy again!”

2022 is already gearing up to be a big year for HER. The once-faceless siren is nominated for eight Grammys, including Album Of The Year and Best R&B Performance. She will also join the likes of Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson in the movie-musical adaptation of The Color Purple as Squeak.

See the dates for the extended Back Of My Mind tour below.

04/08 — Honolulu, HI @ Waikiki Shell
04/14 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
04/16 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds at Moda Center
04/19 — Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre
04/21 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
04/24 — New Orleans, LA @ Champions Square
04/26 — Cincinatti, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
04/29 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
05/01 — Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
05/03 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
05/04 — St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park
05/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
06/02 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
06/07 — Portsmouth, VA @ Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
06/10 — Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion
06/12 — Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
06/16 — Tuscaloosa, AL @ Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
06/18 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
06/19 — Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre

HER Gets Lost In The Soothing Sounds Of Her Studio In Her ‘For Anyone’ Video

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Nearly fives years after she made her debut with her first EP, H.E.R. Volume 1, HER finally released her first full-length album, Back Of My Mind, back in June, with features from Lil Baby, Chris Brown, Yung Bleu, Cordae, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, DJ Khaled, and Bryson Tiller. Now four months later, she’s dropped the video for one of its stand-out tracks, “For Anyone.” It’s a simple one, finding the singer getting comfortable in her studio while she gets lost in the soothing and warm sounds of the record.

The video arrives as HER is currently in the middle of her Back Of My Mind Tour. The shows feature Tone Stith as her opening act for a string of performances that lasts just under three weeks. So far she’s held performances in Tennessee, Texas, and Massachusetts, with stops in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Illinois, and Michigan remaining. Next year, HER will join Coldplay on their Music Of The Spheres World Tour, which runs from March to September 2022

Elsewhere, HER recently joined Kane Brown for their collaboration “Blessed & Fire” and recruited Lil Durk to remix her “Find A Way” track with Lil Baby.

You can watch the video above.

Back Of My Mind is out now via RCA Records. Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER Invites Lil Durk On Board For A Remix Of ‘Find A Way’ With Lil Baby

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Earlier this year, HER released her debut album Back Of My Mind. The 21-track effort came after nearly five years of projects that included HER and I Used To Know Her. Even in the years prior to her debut, the singer was able to tally a collection of Grammy awards, but 2021 became the year to celebrate her official coming-out party. After fans were able to enjoy the project for the better part of the last three months, HER updates one of its standout tracks with an additional guest appearance from Lil Durk.

HER’s “Find A Way” with Lil Baby receives a nice remix treatment thanks to a new verse from Lil Durk. The track is one of the more uptempo and hard-hitting songs on the album, so the addition of Durk makes sense for the record. Furthermore, the two rappers recently joined forces for their joint album, Voice Of The Heroes.

The remix comes after HER responded to critics who have labeled her as an “industry plant.” “With social media, people think they know everything about success,” she said during an interview with Vulture. “People see my success now, and they don’t understand the sacrifices, the 15-hour days in the studio, the pressure from my parents to go to college.”

She added, “Most of the time, people think success is followers and crazy BTS popularity, like if you’re not Beyonce, you’re not famous. ‘Oh, you’ll get there one day.’ Like, everybody doesn’t want to be Beyonce! For me, I grinded it out kinda like a rapper: I dropped a mixtape, nobody knew who I was, it was a very slow build, and here we are now.”

You can press play on the remix in the video above.

Back Of My Mind is out now via MBK Entertainment/RCA. Get it here.

H.E.R. Performed ‘We Made It’ Off Her New Album ‘Back Of My Mind’ At The BET Awards

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H.E.R. has just released an excellent new album, Back Of My Mind, and was part of Amazon’s Prime Day concert film alongside Kid Cudi and Billie Eilish, so she’s been in the spotlight a lot lately. All that wasn’t enough to stop her from entering her BET Awards performance tonight by descending from the ceiling on a floating platform while playing the drums herself. Is there anything she can’t do? The multi-talented artist was performing the intro off her new album, “We Made It” during tonight’s show, and after kicking things off with the drums, she later put on a guitar to shred the guitar solo toward the end of the track.

Though it’s one of the earliest performances in the show, and it will be hard for people to top Cardi B and Offset announcing that the “WAP” rapper is pregnant with their second child, H.E.R.’s live rendition of this track is still going to be one of the highlights of the night. She’s become a cultural force in the R&B world in just a few short years, but clearly, this woman is a career artist. Check out her performance above and if you haven’t spent any time with her new album, Back Of My Mind yet, definitely give it a spin.

H.E.R.’s Official Debut ‘Back Of My Mind’ Embraces Feelings With No Filters

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RCA Records

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Since 2016, HER has been serving up top-shelf R&B. Mixing emotional tales with potent production, her music has been a vessel of vulnerability. Whether waxing poetic about insecurities in love or crooning about political injustices, HER has mastered the ability to communicate the complexities of womanhood (especially one of Black and Filipino origins) and attempts to make messages out of her messes.

With the release of her proper debut album, Back Of My Mind, via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records, she delivers a melodic memoir of uncomfortable truths, sharing the parts of HER that carry weight. The only difference between this set and her previous projects: she’s made more figures and thus attracted more triggers. But material wealth has only given her more material to work with.

For context, HER was an industry mystery five years ago. Before stating one’s pronouns became standard practice, the singer/songwriter emerged with only a photo of a silhouette and ironically, a name that stood for “Having Everything Revealed.” Equipped with a velvety voice, the HER package included all-inclusive R&B at a time when the genre was commingling with rap, experimenting with alternative styles, or leaning into nostalgia. To this day, she says people fail to recognize her without her trademark shades.

The mysterious chanteuse turned out to be Gabi Wilson, the Vallejo, California native who had been performing since she was a child. She has released two compilation albums, comprising two sets of EPs — 2016’s HER: Volume 1 and 2018’s I Used To Know HER: The Prelude and I Used to Know Her: Part 2 — that solidified her star power. The awards and opportunities followed in abundance: four Grammys, an Oscar, five Soul Train Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, a Netflix movie cameo, soundtrack and TV show placements, brand endorsements, numerous collaborations and performances on national stages, including the BET Awards, the Super Bowl, and the Country Music Awards.

It may seem strange that the accolades would precede an artist’s official debut but HER’s Back Of My Mind is a portrait of perhaps the most triumphant and mentally challenging season of her career. The 21-track LP pops the cork with the celebratory “We Made It,” a Dom Perignon toast to the stress and blessings, both past and present.

The tone shifts by track two with the album’s namesake featuring Ty Dolla $ign, setting up the emotional obstacle course that dominates the debut. Lyrically, the tracks sound like transcripts of conversations that live in HER’s head. While her image has been equated with success, her moments of weakness and self-doubt are repurposed into motivation throughout the album. HER and featured guest Lil Baby wave off the haters and honor the hustler’s mentality on “Find A Way.” “Trauma,” co-starring Cordae on their second song together and produced by Hit-Boy, harps on what could be BOMM’s tagline: “I take it personal, I ain’t perfect though.”

In spite of her imperfections, HER’s pen is mightiest when the category is love, especially the unrequited kind. Among the highlights include “Cheat Code,” a guitar-driven joint with a writing credit from Julia Michaels (who’s penned songs for Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, and herself) that puts a cheater on blast and “Mean It,” where HER also strums her pain caused by an ain’t-sh*t lover.

As a result of her L’s in romance, HER proceeds to plaster caution tape all over her heart. The album’s lead single “Damage” (which samples the ‘80s classic “Making Love In The Rain” by Herb Alpert, Lisa Keith, and Janet Jackson) is a delicate plea to her partner to handle HER with care. On the Goapele-inspired “Closer To Me,” HER craves reassurance in a shaky situation while “Hard To Love” outlines the kind of concerns that drive couples to therapy, solo or together. To keep the rotation spicy, HER also lends her version of hot girl summer anthems with the YG-assisted standout “Slide,“ the sneaky link-ready “Come Through” and a late-night rendezvous with Yung Bleu on “Paradise.”

Elsewhere, HER takes issue with the state of the world. The Thundercat-assisted “Bloody Waters” borrows the formula from her Academy Award-winning “Fight For You” (included on the score for the highly praised drama Judas And The Black Messiah) by wrapping political messages in a weighted blanket of funk and pain that soothes yet aches. HER’s state-of-mind, though, is probably best summed up on “Exhausted.” Producer extraordinaire Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins lends his magic to the whew-worthy track that finds HER as a woman who’s had enough: “I’m way, way, way, way past bein’ jaded / And all of y’all just way too opinionated / I’m just sayin’, when do I get a say?”

On the DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller collaboration “I Can Have It All,” HER gets the chance to talk her sh*t: “I know they say, ‘Money’ll make you change’ / That’s ’cause they can’t handle the price of fame / And while you was fantasizin’ ’bout chains / I was plottin’ on a way to buy my momma a house one day.” Although HER’s image was built on mystique, the narratives that fuel her music are familiar stories of shame, fears, and the growing pains that ultimately lead to clarity. Having means and good karma may have jacked up the price for her shows but it’s evident that even an artist of her caliber can’t afford peace of mind sometimes. But as long as she speaks her mind into a mic, those of us listening can at least try to have these crucial conversations with ourselves.

Back Of My Mind is out now via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Get it here.

HER Strives For Independence On The Loungy Single ‘My Own’

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Four-time Grammy Award-winning singer HER is just days away from the release of her highly anticipated album Back Of My Mind. The 21-track effort features collaborations with the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Baby, and DJ Khaled, but with her new single “My Own,” HER exemplifies her powerful solo songwriting.

The subdued beat on “My Own” gives HER the chance to showcase her emotive vocals. A reverberating bass underscores her sultry delivery as HER sings of the difficulty of getting over an ex while also recognizing the self growth that inevitably comes with it.

Just ahead of the new song’s release, HER sat down for a cover interview with Variety, where she talked about how she incorporated elements of rock into the album’s sound:

“I didn’t wanna pull out all my tricks at once. My first few [releases] were just a small piece of who I am musically, and it was a matter of time before I could reveal others. I’ve always been a huge fan of Coldplay and Led Zeppelin and Radiohead and alternative and rock and blues, but it wasn’t until this album that I started digging into those other elements and bringing them to R&B.”

Listen to “My Own” above and check out HER’s full conversation with Variety here.

Back Of My Mind is out 6/18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER’s ‘Back Of My Mind’ Tracklist Features Lil Baby, Bryson Tiller, Cordae, And More

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Getty Image

HER has been a big deal since 2016, when she released her debut EP, HER Vol. 1. Over the years, the California-born artist has won a Grammy and an Oscar. Through it all, one of the only things HER hadn’t accomplished was release a full-length album, but that will change in just a few days.

Back Of My Mind, HER’s long-awaited long-player debut, will drop on June 18. After revealing its title and cover art earlier this month, the singer shared its tracklist with just three days until the album arrives. According to the Apple Music pre-save page, it’s comprised of 21 songs with contributions from Ty Dolla Sign, Hit-Boy, Cordae, Lil Baby, Kaytranada, Thundercat, Chris Brown, Yung Bleu, DJ Khaled, Bryson Tiller, and YG. Previously-released singles, “We Made It,” “Damage,” “Come Through,” “Hold On,” and “Slide.”

You can check out the full tracklist for the album below.

1. “We Made It”
2. “Back Of My Mind” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
3. “Trauma” Feat. Cordae & Hit-Boy
4. “Damage”
5. “Find A Way” Feat. Lil Baby
6. “Bloody Waters” Feat. Kaytranada & Thundercat
7. “Closer To Me
8. “Come Through” Feat. Chris Brown
9. “My Own”
10. “Lucky”
11. “Cheat Code”
12. “Mean It”
13. “Paradise” Feat. Yung Bleu
14. “Process”
15. “Hold On”
16. “Don’t”
17. “Exhausted”
18. “Hard To Love”
19. “For Anyone”
20. “I Can Have It” Feat. DJ Khaled & Bryson Tiller
21. “Slide” feat. YG

Back Of My Mind is out 6/18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER Reveals The Release Date For ‘Back Of My Mind’ With An Insightful Trailer

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After being nominated for Golden Globes, winning Oscars and Grammys for her songs from soundtracks and protests, and working with some of the biggest names in music, HER is finally set to release her debut album, Back Of My Mind, on June 18. The singer revealed the release date with an insightful, black-and-white trailer she posted to social media. A voiceover reveals the creative process behind the album’s concept and title cards echo HER’s words as she explains herself.

“People always ask me, ‘What’s the message? Where does this come from? Is it personal experience?’” she says. “And it’s always the thoughts that sit in the back of my mind. It’s always things that I’ve been through, things that I go through, or what I feel, and all those thoughts that I’m afraid to say sometimes… Things that feel too honest or too vulnerable or too emotional or too aggressive… It’s all of those things that have been in the back of my mind for the past few years since my first project. It’s like a peek into my soul.”

It could be odd to think that the singer has so many projects out yet is only just releasing her debut album, but prior efforts H.E.R. and I Used to Know Her were both compilations of EP tracks she’d released as she slowly revealed her identity and shed the shadowy air of mystery she cultivated early in her career. Now, she’s performing alongside Chris Stapleton at the CMT Music Awards — a sure sign of her crossover appeal — and working with perennial pitchman DJ Khaled. Now, it seems she is finally ready to deliver the album that she’s spent a lifetime working toward.

Back Of Mind is due 6/18 via RCA.

HER Announces The Title Of Her Upcoming Debut Album, ‘Back Of My Mind’

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Grammy-winning singer HER is hard at work on a new project and today, she revealed what it’s going to be called. Back Of My Mind. Incidentally, it’s also her debut album, as her prior efforts, the self-titled H.E.R. and its 2019 follow-up I Used To Know Her, were compilations of previously released material (a quartet of EPs bearing the same titles).

However, despite not having an official “album” to her name, the Bay Area singer has become one of music’s most accomplished artists over the past several years, with singles like “Focus,” “Damage,” and “I Can’t Breathe” charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and appearances alongside stars like Daniel Caesar, Jazmine Sullivan, and YG raising her profile to near-superstar status.

That status was sealed as she secured high-profile placements on the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack and sang the national anthem at the 2021 Super Bowl. Meanwhile, “I Can’t Breathe” won Song of The Year at this year’s Grammys, while “Fight For You” was nominated for a Golden Globe. She even jokingly tried out for Silk Sonic, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars’ new band, a placement that could help her net yet another platinum plaque in the near future.

There’s no release date yet for Back Of My Mind, but the notebook photo she posted on Twitter suggests she’s got at least of a couple of its unknown number of songs in the can already, while her new single “Come Through” is out now. You can listen to that below.