H.E.R.

HER Was A Guitar-Shredding, Enchanting Belle In Disney’s ‘Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration’

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Grammy award-winning artist HER is always making history. The latest of her achievements is her role as Belle in Disney’s 30th celebration televised special of Beauty And The Beast. She is the first Black and Filipina woman to play that role, and she was nothing short of amazing when it took place last night (December 15).

Not only was her singing crystal clear and enchanting, but she even shredded on an electric guitar, making it seem effortless, donning the character’s iconic yellow princess gown and her own signature shades while descending the stairs. The event was definitely one of the most breathtaking performances to witness, which one can tell just from this short clip posted by ABC below.

When discussing her role on Good Morning America, Wilson said, “I never thought I could be a Disney princess.” She later added, “Of course, every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me — so I get to be that to little girls now.” She added about production, “That’s such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty And The Beast, which is crazy. I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer. It’s been an amazing experience just learning so much about myself, and it’s been a lot of fun, honestly.”

H.E.R. Speaks On Why She Wants To Be Called By Her Real Name

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H.E.R. officially wants to be called by her real name.  The singer who was born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson appeared on ‘Good Morning America” on December 7th to discuss her role as Belle in ABC’s Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration and why this project has led her to go by her real name.  “I’ve been re-finding my voice. Now I’m not wearing glasses. I can’t be acting and wearing glasses, so I think it’s time for people to really get to know the person behind H.E.R.,” the singer explained. “H.E.R. is me, but at the same time it’s a new chapter of my life, and I think I’m really finding that connection and I’m allowing people to see under the layers a little bit.”  Wilson will also be the first Black and Filipina woman to play the part of Belle.  “I never thought I could be a Disney princess,” says the Oscar and five-time grammy winner.  “Of course every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me — so I get to be that to little girls now.” she adds “And that’s such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty and the Beast, which is crazy,” she continued. “I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer. It’s been an amazing experience just learning so much about myself, and it’s been a lot of fun honestly.”

Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration Special will air on ABC on December 15th.  Watch the full interview below.

The post H.E.R. Speaks On Why She Wants To Be Called By Her Real Name appeared first on The Source.

HER Played An Impromptu Ukulele Cover Of ‘Beauty And The Beast’ On ‘Fallon’

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Soulful R&B star HER is all set to make history as the first Filipina to portray Disney princess Belle in ABC’s television special adaptation of Disney’s animated classic Beauty And The Beast. The 30th-anniversary celebration is set to air on Thursday, December 15 at 8 pm ET and stream the next day on Disney+. HER will make her appearance credited under her real name, Gabriella Wilson. Last night, she appeared on The Tonight Show to talk about making her childhood dream come true and wound up playing an impromptu ukulele cover of the film’s Grammy-winning title track.

HER knows a thing or two about winning Grammys. She’s already got some hardware for her protest anthem, “I Can’t Breathe” (along with an Oscar for the Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You”), but she’s also nominated this year after co-writing “Good Morning Gorgeous” with Mary J. Blige. During her interview last night, in lieu of showing a clip of the show — which will air live and so there wasn’t one available — Jimmy Fallon pulled the ukulele from behind his desk, handing it over, and letting Ms. Wilson shine. Jimmy joined in, harmonizing admirably with the veteran performer (he’s been doing this for some time, himself) and the audience was clearly delighted. Check it out above.

HER Is Pumped To Be Making History As The First Filipina Belle In The ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Anniversary Special

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R&B sensation HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) is making history again. As the singer prepares for her musical special debut as part of Disney’s 30th celebration televised special of Beauty And The Beast, Wilson becomes the first Black and Filipina woman to play the role of Belle.

For clarity, singer Toni Braxton was the first Black woman to star as Belle on Broadway in 1998. But Wilson’s portrayal will mark the first time a woman of color has played the character on the small screen. During a stop at Good Morning America, the “Back Of My Mind” singer shared with host Michael Strahan what this opportunity means to her.

Wilson confessed, “I never thought I could be a Disney princess.” She later added, “Of course, every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me — so I get to be that to little girls now.”

When asked about her experience as Belle, Wilson replied, “Being a Disney princess is fun!”

Striving for the coveted EGOT status, Wilson could very well earn an Emmy as she also serves as a producer of the special. Wilson discussed the production side of the special, stating, “that’s such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty And The Beast, which is crazy. I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer. It’s been an amazing experience just learning so much about myself, and it’s been a lot of fun, honestly.”

Without giving too much away vocally, Wilson sang a teaser of the production’s opening number, “Belle,” and let’s say viewers are in for a treat.

@gma

@herofficial singing ‘Belle’ is the highlight of our week! 😍❤ #HER #Belle #BeautyAndTheBeast #Disney #Princess

♬ original sound – Good Morning America

Other notable names joining Wilson in the production include Shania Twain (in the role of Mrs. Potts), Josh Groban (in the role of Beast), Martin Short (in the role of candlestick Lumière), Joshua Henry (in the role of Gaston), and David Alan Grier (in the role of Cogsworth, the clock). Rita Moreno will narrate the special.

The Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration television event will air on ABC on December 15 and on Disney+ the next day.

Watch the full interview above.

H.E.R. Cast As 1st Afro-Filipina To Play Belle In “Beauty And The Beast”

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The multi talented musician H.E.R. has been cast to play Belle in a Beauty and the Beast 30th anniversary special. The Disney special will include brand new musical performances with never-before-seen sets and costumes.  

The five-time Grammy winner said she was especially excited to portray a Black and Filipino princess in an official press release.

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle!” the 25-year-old R&B singer gushed. “I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Executive producer Jon M. Chu added, “With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle and we are thrilled for audiences to see her in this celebration of creativity.”

READ MORE: Mary J. Blige Releases “Good Morning Gorgeous” Remix Feat. H.E.R.

H.E.R.’s casting marks the first time an Afro-Filipina woman will play the role of Belle on screen. However it won’t be her last of her on the big screen as she is set to star in the 2023 Warner Bros. adaptation of The Color Purple.

The Beauty and the Beast 30th anniversary special will air on ABC Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET and  streams on Disney+ the following day.

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The post H.E.R. Cast As 1st Afro-Filipina To Play Belle In “Beauty And The Beast” appeared first on The Source.

H.E.R. To Play Princess Belle In “Beauty And The Beast”

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H.E.R. has been cast for a major role in an impactful children’s show that will be celebrating 30 years of its influence. H.E.R. Plays Princess Belle According to reports, H.E.R. will be gracing TV screens later this year as she plays Princess Belle in the new season of “Beauty and the Beast,” which viewers can […]

The post H.E.R. To Play Princess Belle In “Beauty And The Beast” appeared first on SOHH.com.

Coldplay Loves HER’s Backstage A Capella Cover Of ‘Fix You’

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Last night (July 13), as part of their Music Of The Spheres tour, Coldplay put on a show at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The band is on the stretch of the tour that features HER as their opening act and they seem pretty enamored by one of her performances… but not an on-stage one.

Today, Coldplay shared a video, taken backstage at that Berlin show, of HER and her band firing off a quick a capella rendition of Coldplay’s enduring 2005 single “Fix You.” It starts with some vocalists singing the song’s instrumental before HER comes in with the first verse. On the chorus, everybody joins in and harmonizes with HER for a gorgeous conclusion to their truncated cover.

Sharing the video, Coldplay wrote, “Fix You by @HERMusicx, backstage in Berlin. We’re so lucky to hear these voices every night on tour.”

This comes shortly after Hannah Reid (of London Grammar, Coldplay’s other tour opener) joined the band on stage, also in Berlin, on July 10, singing duet with Chris Martin on “Let Somebody Go,” Coldplay’s single from earlier this year that features Selena Gomez.

Watch both of those performances above.

Coldplay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER Covers Sly And The Family Stone’s ‘Dance To The Music’ For The Latest ‘Minions’ Soundtrack

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If you engage with pop culture on any level at all, you likely know that there’s a new Minions movie on the way. While your reception of this news largely depends on how you feel about the Minions as characters — and whether or not you have kids, the determining factor in how likely you are to end up in a movie theater to see the little yellow creatures on July 1 — there is one universal good that comes with the new film: Its soundtrack.

For whatever reason, the Despicable Me cinematic universe has always had absolutely stellar music. While some of that music gets run into the ground — even Pharrell got sick of “Happy” — Illumination, the studio behind Gru and his gibberish-speaking allies, undoubtedly churns out banger after banger for their films from covers to original songs.

This is, in part, because they secure some great collaborators for them. While Pharrell worked on the soundtrack for Despicable Me 2, the soundtrack for Minions: The Rise Of Gru is produced by Jack Antonoff, featuring contemporary artists covering 1970s soul, funk, and pop hits. The latest one to surface is a cover of Sly And The Family Stone’s signature hit “Dance To The Music” performed by the multitalented HER.

Listen to HER’s cover of Sly And The Family Stone’s “Dance To The Music” above. The full soundtrack, which also features Brittany Howard, Brockhampton, Caroline Polachek, Diana Ross, Gary Clark Jr., Jackson Wang, Kali Uchis, RZA, St. Vincent, Tierra Whack, and Thundercat, is also out on 7/1 via Decca and Verve.

H.E.R. Files Lawsuit to Be Released From Her Label, MBK Entertainment

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H.E.R. wants out of her record contract.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is suing MBK Entertainment, the label owned by her longtime manager Jeff Robinson. According to legal documents, filed in Los Angeles on Thursday and obtained by The Blast, H.E.R. is suing for declaratory relief and violation of the business and professions code and is seeking release from her contract with MBK.

H.E.R., whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, signed with Robinson in 2011, when she was 14 years old. The recording contract made H.E.R. an “exclusive employee” for an “initial period” which “ended the later of 15 months after May 19, 2011, or 12 months after the commercial release in the United States of Wilson’s first album under the contract, and up to five additional Option Periods of more than one year each.”

She alleges that MBK has “significantly limited” her “employment rights” and that she “has not been free to provide her recording services except as permitted or dictated by MBK.” She also claims that MBK “has exclusively owned the right to exploit her name and likeness for her recordings,” and that Robinson fired the law firm that represented her and used his own lawyers to represent Wilson in contract negotiations.

H.E.R. says the contract should have been up on May 18, 2019 since she signed it in 2011. California has a seven-year contract maximum and H.E.R. is a resident of the state, so she should be free from her previous contract with MBK.

“Wilson’s seven years have run,” the lawsuit states. “MBK’s attempts to thwart this important and fundamental California public policy should not be condoned.”

H.E.R.’s albums have all been released under MBK and distributed by RCA Records. It is unclear whether the dispute extends to her management contract with Robinson, who previously managed Alicia Keys.

HER Is Being Sued Over A Supposed Sample By Gospel Group Take 6 On Her Hit ‘Could’ve Been’

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Nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Song at the 62nd Grammy Awards, HER’s “Could’ve Been” featuring Bryson Tiller has been a considerable hit for the singer. But a lawsuit filed Tuesday by acapella gospel group Take 6, alleges that HER’s song uses an “obvious” sample of the sextet’s song, “Come Unto Me.”

HER (neé Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson), producer Dernest “D’Mile” Emile II, and Sony Music Entertainment are among the defendants named in a document obtained by Billboard. The lawsuit claims that, “‘Could’ve Been’ is a song comprised of substantially similar compositional, rhythmic and lyrical elements to ‘Come Unto Me,’” adding that, “Defendants have profited greatly from the commercial success of the infringing composition and infringing sound recording.”

Listening to “Could’ve Been” (above) there is what sounds like a gospel sample auto-tuned into the production backbone. But it’s not immediately discernible as Take 6’s “Come Unto Me” (below).

Take 6’s attorney, James Walker, disagrees, telling Billboard that it is in fact “obvious.” Walker also stated that he consulted with a musicologist to confirm his and the group’s suspicion. “Come Unto Me” netted Take 6 a Best Contemporary Soul Gospel award at the 33rd Grammys, so it’s fairly notable. Still, before the case can advance to court, a judge will have to determine if the sample sounds close enough to the Grammy-winning single to warrant it. You can listen to both above.