For years, Gabriella Wilson has garnered accolades and thrilled audiences as the multi-talented but mysterious R&B chanteuse HER, but recently, she’s said she wanted to step out from behind the persona and let us get to know the real, well, her. She started rocking the shades and going by the SEO-confounding mononym as to create a kind of alter ego to protect her from personalized scrutiny and keep the focus firmly on her music — much like a comic book superhero donning a mask and colorful spandex to protect their loved ones from their enemies.
Well, the ruse worked — maybe a little too well. Because even after racking up half an EGOT (the collective title for a winner of all four major performance awards, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and becoming the first-ever Black-and-Filipina Disney princess in the Beauty And The Beast 30th Anniversary Celebration on ABC, fans were still befuddled by a recent Instagram photo of the 25-year-old San Franciso native without her signature shades. In fact, they couldn’t help but compare her to possibly the most iconic bespectacled superhero, Superman — although in his case, he’s more super when he takes his glasses off instead. Some jokers even photoshopped some shades back onto the pic, instantly recognizing her again, while others added references to Hannah Montana and Perry The Platypus (different strokes, I guess). Even Gabby herself had to get in on the action, responding, “I don’t get it either tbh” with a slew of laughing emojis. Check out some of the responses below.
Clark Kent was onto something because I did not recognize her without the glasses https://t.co/duga2T48PP
— Tiffie Targaryen, First of Her Name (@TiffieStarchild) December 21, 2022
The shades gives her that Clark Kent effect https://t.co/7Fc5Fv8vAL
— Z (@TheeDCstan) December 21, 2022
Superman is starting to make a lot more sense now.. https://t.co/yOgfIO9Pn6 pic.twitter.com/WH5L1AS5Lu
— Olamijiire⁷ (@olamijiire) December 20, 2022
The real life Clark Kent/Superman when them shades come off
— A.Humble.Savage (@Its716Chuck) December 19, 2022
She said https://t.co/pQLAlGnzKk pic.twitter.com/RnshfRPQuv
— KB (@kiaranextdoor) December 20, 2022
Okay now I recognize her. Damn, I’m starting to see how Superman had these nxggas fooled pic.twitter.com/9cz5tadBTS
— BADDEST ALIVE (@thetirekinge) December 20, 2022
Cause y’all really about to act like y’all don’t recognize this lady without her glasses… https://t.co/DjTlyR8RNJ pic.twitter.com/6HD3WB4NPq
— jolly lee (@___Leebee) December 21, 2022
Me to the people of Metropolis: pic.twitter.com/qySQlESNGC
— The Dalai Lama (@outafucks2give) December 20, 2022
This gabriella wilson . this not H.E.R
— I MISS 2012 (@SonCreation1) December 20, 2022
Difference is like Clark Kent and Superman
— jb (@jay_bizzzle) December 20, 2022
I don’t get it either tbh https://t.co/62bMhnd1Rm
— H.E.R. (@HERMusicx) December 20, 2022