Entertainment

Road to the Grammys: H.E.R.’s Grammy-Winning Music Revisited

Photographed by Shaira Luna.

Look back at some of H.E.R.’s notable records that have received nods from the Grammy Awards ahead of the ceremony on February 5.

At this year’s 65th Annual Grammy Awards, H.E.R. is set to establish her presence in the music industry as more than just a vocalist and a performer. She is nominated for four Grammys for roles both in front of the mic and behind the recording booth.

As producer and songwriter, she is nominated for Record of the Year and Best R&B song for the Mary J. Blige track “Good Morning Gorgeous”; as a featured artist, producer and songwriter, she is nominated for Album of the Year for Good Morning Gorgeous; and as featured artist, she is nominated for Best Dance / Electronic Recording for the track “Intimidated” with Canadian DJ, producer and songwriter Kaytranada.

Since 2019, H.E.R. has been nominated for 24 categories and has gone on to take home five wins, including Song of the Year, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance. The multi-hyphenate continues to expand her horizons; the singer, songwriter and producer is also an actress who has appeared in the 2021 movie Yes Day, and has recently headlined ABC’s live-action take on Beauty and the Beast for its 30th anniversary.

Here are five examples of H.E.R.’s critically-acclaimed music:


H.E.R.

The eponymous compilation album, which was released in 2017, features songs from the singer’s EPs H.E.R. Vol.1, released in 2016, and H.E.R. Vol. 2, released earlier in 2017, along with six new songs. Among these are the singles “Say It Again” and the Grammy-winning duet “Best Part” with Daniel Caesar. The album won Best R&B Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards.


“Best Part” (with Daniel Caesar)

H.E.R.’s sultry vocals were featured in Daniel Caesar’s romantic ballad “Best Part”. The song, which appeared in her self-titled album H.E.R. in 2017, won the BET Soul Train Music Award for Best Collaboration Performance in 2018 before winning the Grammy for Best R&B Performance in 2019.


“I Can’t Breathe”

In June 2020, H.E.R. released “I Can’t Breathe,” a single that describes the public outrage following George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The song went on to nab the Song of the Year honor at the Grammys in 2021. This was H.E.R.’s first win in the category.


“Better Than I Imagined” (with Robert Glasper and Meshell Ndegeocello)

The singer collaborated with songwriter Robert Glasper and rapper Meshell Ndegeocello to write about the possibilities and challenges of love. It nabbed the Grammy for the Best R&B Song in 2021.


“Fight For You”

H.E.R. co-wrote “Fight For You” with R&B singer Tiara Thomas for the 2021 biographical crime drama Judas and the Black Messiah. Nominated for three categories including Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media, the song nabbed the Best Traditional R&B Performance award in 2022. The song also won Best Original Song at the 2021 Academy Awards.

The Grammy Awards will be airing in the US at CBS on February 5.

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