The University of Illinois at Chicago’s annual Spark In The Park concert has had a string of amazing headliners over the past few years such as Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Travis Scott, 21 Pilots, and Nick Jonas. Just this past Friday on September 18, 2018, twenty-one-year-old H.E.R made history and became the first woman to close one of UIC’s most highly anticipated events of the year! The California native also known as Gabriella Wilson has taken a unique approach to her newfound fame that is somewhat reminiscent of SIA. She intentionally wears these chic dark sunglasses to maintain a certain level anonymity which is evident in the stage name she chose–H.E.R.–which is an acronym that stands for “having everything revealed.” H.E.R. chooses to keep certain aspects of her identity in an effort to keep people focused on the music she creates instead of her physical appearance.
The R&B newcomer was originally signed to RCA when she was only 13. Since then, she has risen to the top of R&B charts with a string of hit singles which include: Focus, As I Am, and Best Part (duet with Daniel Ceaser). Aside from being an amazing vocalist, H.E.R is a fully-fledged musician that can play the guitar, drums and piano. She recently wrapped the Heartbreak on a Fullmoon tour with Chris Brown which began in June. Now she is preparing to headline her very own tour which starts this November following the release of her new E.P: I Used to Know Her: The Prelude.
Be sure to check her out on tour this fall. Can’t wait to see what she does next!